That's Why You're Beautiful
by DreamingOfParadise
Summary: Bella meets the incredibly nervous Edward Cullen when she's at work, something which she's secretly ashamed of. At first things are awkward between them, but could things change over time?
1. Chapter One

**That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter One_

One of the main reasons why I tend to avoid family reunions and deny any invites to visit is that it can all get a little... _awkward_.

Simple and seemingly harmless questions like, "So, what do you do for a living?" can cause a whole load of problems and panic for me. I can't exactly respond to them with, "Oh, y'know, I'm a prostitute. It's nothing special, but it pays the bills, I guess."

Yeah... so that's_ one_ of the reasons why I haven't seen my parents in years.

Most people have the typical views on prostitutes; desperate women plastered in bright make up, wearing skimpy underwear, hanging around on the street corners waiting for random men to have fun with.

They couldn't be more wrong.

It's tough, both physically and mentally. Several times I've broken down and just cried, wondering what on earth I was doing. But then again, Yvonne (my devastatingly pretty and forceful boss) was always there ready to persuade me to stay with some of her best lines. It's either that, or crazy threats.

"Oh, Bella, you're everyone's favourite!"

"You'll never make money like this in another job..." she'd say, her voice deep and husky from the years of smoking.

I don't really agree about being everyone's favourite, far from it actualy, but the second part is kind-of true. It's the only reason why I stay. As soon as I've got enough money, I'll quit. That's what I keep telling myself. The only problem is that it's quite difficult to suddenly stop; there's always someone or something there to persuade you to carry on, and the 'what ifs' gradually begin to settle in, especially considering the current decrease in jobs available.

Life is tough and it just seems easier to stay.

Which is what I'm doing. For now.

Luckily, I have an understanding flatmate by the name of Alice. She's the one I confide in after every hard day at work, the one who truly understands what I go through. _Why_ I do it.

"Morning," Alice smiled as I stepped out from my room, yawning wildly. Another downside to my job (that's what I usually call it, 'my job'; it's weird, but I don't like calling it prostitution. It makes it all seem so final and serious) is that you can't fit the times around your own schedule; you're given the appointments and you _have_ to stick to them. Sometimes they're first thing in the morning and sometimes they're late at night. I have to be pretty flexible, in more ways than one.

"Hey," I grumbled, reaching in the fridge for some form of liquid. My throat felt sore and croaky today; not the greatest of starts.

"Have you got much work on today?" she asked, slowly eating a spoonful of cereal. I nodded my head solemnly, having just checked my diary before leaving my room.

"Five clients," I muttered, taking a sip from my orange juice.

I saw Alice nod. "Anyone new?"

I shrugged. "I can't really remember. I only skimmed through the names." Actually, I could briefly recall a particular name sparking some interest, but soon forgot and continued making myself some toast.

"I'm seeing Jasper again today," she grinned, and I smiled a little at her.

"That's a good sign, then," I replied. Alice hadn't exactly had much luck with love in the past, kind of like me, and it seemed that the mysterious Jasper had made her very happy.

She gushed a little in response. "Yeah. I _really_ like him."

I nodded. "I'll have to meet him sometime."

My toast popped up and I quickly caught it (feeling like a ninja of some sort) and reached for the butter. It was then that I caught sight of the clock, ticking threateningly away on the wall.

"Hang on, I thought it was half past eight?" I frowned, checking my watch. Half nine.

Oh God.

"Please tell me my clock hasn't stopped..." I shrieked, racing back into my room. Sure enough, it still said 8.30.

_Crumbs_.

I made a strange noise of distress once again and quickly reached for some clothes before sprinting into the kitchen.

"I'm gonna have to go," I called. "Remind me to violently stamp on my clock when I get back! Stupid piece of junk..."

Just before I could slam the door behind me, I heard Alice's voice. "Er, Bella?"

"Sorry, Alice, I really don't have any-"

"I think it's best to go out _without_ your underwear wrapped around your thigh."

* * *

I jogged up the stairs, panting uncontrollably and praying for time to somehow slow down. Seriously, though, why did it have to go by so fast at the wrong times?

Eventually, I reached the apartment door and fumbled for my key, silently thanking God that my client hadn't arrived yet. That certainly wouldn't have gone down too well.

After locking the door behind me, I ran for the bedroom and quickly picked up my clothes (if you could call them that; they barely cover me), then darted towards the bathroom to prepare myself.

Basically, as part of the job, they supply me with a swanky apartment to do all the... _business_ inside. It's equipped with everything I need and allows me to escape from my other life, leaving no suspicious traces behind. It really does make me feel very secretive sometimes... it's not really a nice feeling.

Everywhere inside is modernly furnished and the main piece is, unsurprisingly, a king size bed, covered with silk sheets and fluffy pillows. I decided to go against the standard pink theme; I didn't want to look so predictable after all. Despite my job, I do actually have taste, even if that's difficult to believe.

I sat at the dining table (I had no idea why that was there; it wasn't like anyone ever came over there to eat), drumming my fingers on the cold wood. I really didn't like this place; it was so unlike me. My real flat is full of clutter and things which mean a lot to me; CDs, DVDs and books... not just furniture and ridiculously shaped ornaments (there's something on one of the many shelves that I have no idea about what it's meant to be; it looks like a mixture of a carrot and a banana).

My heart was hammering against my nightgown; it wasn't like me to get nervous, especially after so much experience, yet I still felt a silent worry. It had been such a close shave arriving here that everything seemed doomed. I just had the feeling that _something_ was going to go wrong.

Talking of close shaves, another slight downside to the job is that it is _incredibly_ high maintenance. Every week I have to make sure that my legs are smooth, my nails are painted, my hair is perfect... it's all very draining and leaves practically no time for anything else.

I don't even think I'm _that_ pretty, but people still seem interested enough. I should be flattered, really. Then again, they don't exactly visit me for _me_. There's only ever one thing on their minds and that's plainly obvious.

The loud sound of the doorbell suddenly rung throughout the apartment and I took in a sharp breath. I slowly stood up, smoothing myself down and taking a quick look at myself in the mirror. The over-groomed hair and make up was a little nauseating, but I pushed this out of my mind as I pasted on a smile and opened the door.

I suppose that when the clients are fairly good looking, it makes it all a little easier. Take Riley, for example. He's one of my regulars and has thick, blond hair and intense brown eyes. He's always really considerate of my feelings, because he was very nervous during our first meeting and we had a nice conversation together. I think that we... _bonded_, if that's the right word.

One thing that makes me uncomfortable, though, is knowing that the client has a wife or partner. Riley admitted this to me during one of his visits, and I couldn't help wincing. The usual reason why they visit me is that they have unfulfilled fantasies or are just bored, but I can't stop myself picturing an innocent looking woman, glancing at the clock with dinner ready on the table, wondering when her love is going to return home.

"So, how are you today?" he asked as I removed his heavy coat for him.

"I'm fantastic, thank you," I replied cheerily; another lie to add to my ever-growing collection. But I had to pretend that I was enthusiastic.

"That's good to hear," he grinned, flashing me a toothy smile. I slowly closed my eyes, mentally preparing myself.

_You can do this, _I told myself, fingering his coat in my hands. I couldn't ignore the feeling of his wallet in the pocket. _Think of the money. You need the money._

God... all this made me seem really shallow.

After placing his coat on the table, I tiptoed towards him and put on my best seductive voice.

"_So_," I breathed, placing a hand on his chest. "What do you want to do?"

I could see the familiar excitement flicker in his eyes.

"Well," he smirked, pulling me close towards him. "You know what I like." He waggled his eyebrows.

I forced out a laugh. "Alright, then." I reached for the buttons on his shirt and slowly unbuttoned each one, feeling him running his hands along my body. I had my mental block perfectly in place for what I was doing so this was all fine. I was going to be _fine_.

Soon enough, his clothes were on the floor and I was pushing him towards the bed. He looked up at me greedily as I led on top of him, preparing for what I had to do. I took a deep breath and started.

* * *

"You know what?"

I peeked over towards Riley who was lying next to me, smiling happily. He reached for my hand, rubbing it with his thumb. "You're pretty amazing."

_No, my skills in bed are amazing, not myself, _I mentally corrected.

Despite this, I still grinned at him. "Why, thank you. You're not so bad yourself."

I turned my gaze to the ceiling, thinking absently. Riley would be leaving in five minutes and I was feeling strange again. I always felt a little guilty straight afterwards; you'd think I would get used to it after all these months.

But maybe it shows that I'm only human.

"I do want to thank you though. For... uh, for what you do."

I turned towards him in surprise; those were words I never really expected to hear.

"It's... it's no problem," I murmured, smiling in his general direction.

"Have you got much planned this week?" he asked, making light conversation. I searched my mind for possible answers.

"I'm..." I shrugged. "Y'know, shopping and stuff. The usual."

He grinned mischieviously. "Some new underwear for me, I hope."

_Hahaha. _

_No._

"Maybe," I answered through clenched teeth. Sometimes he did overstep the mark. I sneakily glanced at my watch.

"Well, I'd better go," he said, standing up and gathering his clothes. Perhaps he'd taken the hint. "Thanks again."

I nodded and watched as he took his wallet out of his pocket.

"$100, was it?"

"Please." I smiled as he handed me the money. "Thanks."

And without another word and a wink, he was gone.

* * *

When lunchtime_ finally_ arrived, I hurried back to my flat to meet Alice. She looked up at me suspiciously from her magazine as I wandered into the kitchen, reaching for a sandwich.

"Something up, Bells?"

I leaned against the counter, thinking. _Yes, I was beginning to dive into a low part of my life and I knew it._

After I had left the apartment, I had experienced the familiar urge to run and cry, feeling that it was all too much for me again. It usually happens after particularly rough, bossy clients who think they actually own me.

Well, I suppose for the hour, they really do.

What a depressing thought.

"No, I'm fine," I answered, forcing a smile. "Just a bit tired."

Her face dropped with sympathy. "Nasty client?"

I nodded slowly. "Yup."

Before I could blink, she was hugging me and I relaxed from the warmth of her body.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. If it makes you feel better, I've had a bit of a crappy morning as well," she sighed.

I pulled apart from her. "Oh?"

She shrugged. "It was probably nothing, I just had a really nasty headache... y'know the ones where you honestly believe your skull is about to explode?" I nodded. "I even took some painkillers."

My hand clamped over my mouth; I could have sworn Alice was mentally allergic to painkillers. A few weeks ago during a particularly horrific hangover (believe me, we've had _many_) she had felt incredibly sick and I offered her an aspirin - she practically raced around the room screaming after she'd swallowed it, screeching that she was going to vomit. A _slight _over-reaction.

She nodded encouragingly. "Yup. I'm proud of myself."

I joined her on the sofa, mindlessly flicking through some channels.

"Jasper phoned me earlier," she suddenly chirped and I grinned.

"Oooh, he sounds keen."

She squealed. "Yeah... he does. How do you think 'Alice Hale' sounds? It has a ring to it."

I frowned. _Hale. Jasper Hale... _that sounded vaguely familiar.

"Alice, you've only been together a few months," I replied, putting my thoughts aside. "The phrase 'jumping the gun' comes to mind..."

This didn't seem to mean anything to her. "You were only with David for three months before you married him."

"That's different," I answered straight away, shuddering instinctively at the sudden memory. "And anyway, you might scare him away."

She huffed. "Well, we shall see."

I nodded. "Yes. We shall."

* * *

After the fourth of my day's clients left, I slumped back against the bed, feeling completely exhausted. _What a day_.

I still had one person left, however, and, to make matters worse, it was a _new_ person. These were usually the most awkward; I could just picture it all in my head, the usual nerves and worry, mixed together with a whole lot of pointless small talk.

How _thrilling_.

I paced around, freshening myself up and I jumped as the doorbell suddenly rang. I frowned, glancing at the clock; it was early... he must be really keen.

I headed towards the door and had to ashamedly admit that my eyebrows rose in surprise as the man in the doorway stared back at me.

He was wearing a dark, buttoned cardigan which was _way _too big for him and seemed to completely drown his body; I could see that it was stretched to cover most of his hands almost protectively. As my eyes travelled upwards I noticed his large, thick glasses which seemed to dominate his face. He had green eyes which were darting around nervously, not once meeting my gaze. His brown hair was combed neatly and I realised that he was shaking a little.

Basically, summed up in one word, he was a nerd.

Wow, that rhymed. Perhaps _that's_ a new career path...

I snapped out of my dazed trance and smiled weakly at the man in front of me.

"Hi... are you alright?"

He nodded frantically and I saw him wince behind his glasses. "Y-yes, are you B-Bella S-S-Swan?"

Small problem with the stammering... maybe he was nervous?

Screw the maybe; he looked bloody terrified.

"Yes, that's me." I added a smile for good measure and saw him stare at the floor as though it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"G-good. I, uh, I should think you have been e-expecting me... I'm... I'm," he swallowed loudly, "I'm E-Edward C-C-Cullen."


	2. Chapter Two

**That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Two_

I think we just stared at each other for a long time, as I tried to get an idea of what was happening. I couldn't quite understand why he was here... He was a _nerd;_ nerds don't usually visit me; shouldn't he be busy playing chess or something?

Argh, this was going to be _so_ embarrassing.

"H-hi, Edward," I smiled, sounding like I was talking to a five year old. "Why, uh, why don't you come in?"

He walked rigidly forwards and I closed the door behind him, resisting the urge to run out and escape while I still had the chance. Why the hell was today going _so_ badly?

He was dithering around on the spot, clearly taking in his surroundings and probably disapproving of the lack of... _geekiness._ I felt a wave of annoyance towards him; he couldn't just come in here and judge me; who did he think he was?

I cleared my throat and walked resignedly towards the fridge. I was probably just over-reacting. "Do you want a drink, Edward?" It took a great deal of self control to stop myself calling him Ednerd.

He looked a little dazed. "Um, no... no, t-thank you. I don't d-drink."

Now why didn't _that_ surprise me?

Oh well, I didn't really care.

I poured myself a large glass of wine and, after checking that he wasn't looking in my direction, took a long swig from the bottle. Well, I did need some moral support, even if it did come from alcohol.

He was still hovering around when I left the kitchen and I suppressed a heavy sigh.

"Why don't you take a seat?" I asked, gesturing towards the bed.

He did a double take, which would have been hilarious if I didn't feel so irritated, before reluctantly perching himself on the edge. He seemed so awkward that it really was painful to look at him. I joined his side, though, watching as he seemed to fiddle with his hands. I saw him take a quick peek at me before frowning and looking around the room.

The silence was deafening. Had I done something wrong in a past life to deserve this? Was I really such a bad person?

I took a slow sip of my wine before setting the glass on the floor. Might as well try and make some conversation... "So, Edward," I began, "I haven't seen you before."

I could see the worry immediately flicker in his eyes; he really looked like he didn't want to be here at all. Actually, he'd probably been dared by somebody, or perhaps this was a prank.

A flaming _hilarious_ one.

"N-no," he finally answered in a quiet voice. "I... I saw the advertisement in a newsp-paper and, well..." He made a strange hand gesture. "Here I am."

I forced a laugh and smiled at him. "So, why are you here?"

He looked absolutely terrified now. "W-well, I'm... I'm sorry if this is wrong b-but I'm not actually here for..." He broke off, and made a weird kind-of thrust with his crotch. I had to bite my lip to stop myself guffawing.

"Oh, really?" I spluttered, passing it off as a cough. "Then... why _are_ you here?"

_To waste my time? _

He hesitated. "Well, it... it probably sounds stupid-"

_Yes, it's probably going to._

"But I... I just w-wanted to come here to... to t-talk really," he murmured, staring at his lap. "I'm... I'm... I just get l-lonely. Sometimes."

He looked so genuinely helpless for a moment that I placed my hand on his. He jerked back, alarmed by the contact and I quickly edged away. Blimey, what was his _problem_?

"I... I h-hope it's not too much trouble," he continued. "I just didn't k-know where else to go to."

To a shop, maybe? Perhaps then he could purchase a dictionary so that he can define the term 'prostitute.' I think he'd find that it doesn't say 'someone to pour your heart out to.'

Still, he was paying me and it was better than what I had been expecting. I shuddered slightly.

"Oh," I blinked. "Oh, okay then. Um-"

I trailed off helplessly, listening to the distant ticking of the clock. It seemed that the sound was slowing, making time purposely drag along for me.

Well, thanks _a lot_.

I sighed heavily before asking him the first thing I could think of. "So, did you... er... get up to much earlier today?"

He looked towards me with a slightly bewildered expression and I swallowed.

"Um, y'know, just... curious," I shrugged and he seemed to relax a little.

"I... I was-" He paused, deep in thought, and I wondered for a moment exactly what he was editing. It was clear that he was going to say something, but had changed his mind.

"I was just at... w-work," he eventually told me and I raised my eyebrows.

"Oh. Well, that's great. What do you do?"

This question startled him. Blimey, it really didn't take much to scare this guy. Surely he was a walking hazard? A walking hazard with oversized glasses and a ridiculous fashion sense.

"I teach. At a s-school."

I frowned. "But today's Saturday... surely you weren't working earlier?"

His eyes bulged behind his glasses. "Um, it, I, it was a training day. It was p-practise for teaching methods and whatnot."

I had the feeling he was lying to me, but ignored it. The truth was that I didn't really care.

"Okay," I replied. "So, what do you teach?" I couldn't ignore the feeling that this conversation sounded like a policeman interviewing a criminal suspect. Formal. Awkward. Forced.

He locked eye contact with me for the first time. "I teach Physics."

I nodded slowly. That didn't surprise me one bit. He was the typical nerd stereotype.

"I never really liked Physics at school," I told him. "It was too complicated. And unnecessary, in my opinion."

I shouldn't have added that last part, for he passionately protested at me. "No, Physics really is incredibly necessary. We need it to decipher the mysteries on our planet."

Oh God. Please_ stop_.

"It really is quite interesting if you get into it," he continued. "I think that-"

I switched off, nodding and humming at the appropriate moments, but the truth was that he was boring me to death. Had he misheard me or something? Had I not said that I _hated _Physics?

"And... oh, er... hello? Excuse me?"

I blinked, alarmed to see that he was staring at me and waving a hand in front of my face. I must have been gazing into space. Well, could he really blame me?

"Sorry," I gushed. "Sorry. I was just thinking about what you said. It's all, uh, fascinating."

The hint of a smile edged onto his face. "Oh r-really? I told you so." He looked a little bit smug. "What do you think about the theory of relativity?"

The _what_?

"I... yeah," I nodded. "It sounds fantastic. Yeah, brilliant."

He narrowed his eyes before averting his gaze to the floor. I took this opportunity to glance at the clock; I still had forty five minutes left with him. Argh, I could seriously _punch_ something.

"Perhaps... I..." he shrugged. "Maybe I could get you a book about it sometime?"

I squirmed. "Um... I..." _Now who was the one stuttering?_

"That... that sounds fantastic, thank you."

I know I should have been honest, but the expectant look on his face made it incredibly difficult to say no. He smiled a little.

But then the truth hit me.

To get me the book, that meant he'd have to visit me again...

No. Oh _no_... Quick! Think excuses. Think, think, _think_!

"But, I do already have a large collection of Physics textbooks." He eyed me speculatively and I added, "Well, my flatmate does. Clutters the place up a bit, to be honest. I... I'm sure she'll already have the book you're on about."

He looked deflated and murmured, "Right. Okay."

There was more silence for a while, before a badge on his coat caught my eye.

"Hey, is that the TARDIS? From Doctor Who?"

He followed my gaze to the badge and shrugged.

"Yeah, it is. I'm quite a fan," he smiled. "I've n-never missed an episode."

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the badge. It brought back fond memories of my time watching the show; ashamedly, it was my favourite too. Why did I have to have something in common with him?

"I love the show, too," I smiled. "Especially the newer episodes. David Tennant's my favourite, though." I stared off dreamily. "He looks fantastic in those glasses."

When there was no reply, I looked up to see him staring at me. _Oh God, please don't tell me he thinks I secretly meant him_... His glasses are just ridiculous...

He exhaled eventually. "I prefer the older episodes. Tom Baker's era."

I nodded. "Everyone has their favourite, I guess."

"Although it's all amazing."

I smiled, thinking of Alice. She'd have a field day if she realised what was going on. Doctor Who was my secret obsession; I never mentioned it to _anyone_. She'd taunted me after she found my secret stash of DVDs under my bed. I smiled a little at the memory.

But then, as I thought about David Tennant, a more painful memory suddenly forced its way into my head and I was forced to relive it.

_David, my new husband, carried me into the room and placed me on the bed, laughing with me at the memory of the day before. He led beside me, grinning uncontrollably and holding my hand._

_"Mrs Adams," he chanted, locking eye contact with me with his beautiful blue eyes. I stared at him, unbelievably happy with my life. Everything was so perfect._

_"I love you, you know that don't you?" he grinned and I smiled timidly back at him._

_"Not as much as I love you."_

_"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure."_

_He pulled me into a tight hug, pressing his lips against mine, and I became lost in the bliss. It was then that there was a strange thumping on the door and we both sat up alert, fear rushing through me._

_"Who's that?" I asked David, watching as he approached the door. "No one's supposed to be here."_

_We were staying at a private holiday home in Spain, and nobody should have been able to get past the gates... not without a key..._

_"Stay there," he told me, silently approaching the door. He reached for the key and quickly opened the door, only to be confronted by a man dressed in black. He was wearing a mask to cover his face but I could still see the evil glint in his eyes. I could also see the long knife in his hand._

_"David! Get away! He's got a knife! _David_!"_

_But he didn't listen to me, he just stood his ground, protecting me from this dangerous stranger._

_"What are you doing here?" he asked, strangely calmly. "You have no right to be here!"_

_The man hissed something at him and my heart leapt into my throat. "David, please be careful! David!"_

_"You'd better get out now," he continued. "Before I call the police."_

_The man merely snorted and lunged for David. My breathing stopped._

_"Nooo!" I screamed. "David, please! Be careful!"_

_But it was too late. There was a sickening gurgle from his mouth and the man suddenly ran away outside, rushing away from the scene. I stared over at David who was bent over, clutching his stomach._

_As I knelt down beside him, I saw that his wedding suit was soaked with blood._

_"No..." I breathed, holding him. This wasn't happening. "No, no... David?"_

_His eyes looked distant. "Bella..."_

_"I'm here, you're alright." Tears of fear were already streaming down my face. This couldn't be happening. Not after our wedding day. No._

_"I'm... Bella..."_

_He stared up at me and muttered three final words. "Bella... love... you..."_

_And then he closed his eyes and was gone. I clutched him closely in disbelief at what had just happened, his blood steadily staining my wedding dress. A robber had came into our private space where we were supposed to start our life together... _

_And he had stolen everything._

_I sobbed, unable to realise what was going on. It had all happened so quickly..._

"Bella?"

A voice brought me back to the present and I tried my hardest to push the raw memory back into the depths of my mind, but the image was still fresh and my throat was tightening.

Sometimes, the memories made me realise that it had been foolish of me to start a new life and leave it all behind. If only I could tell Alice about everything, but from what she knew, David was just a drunken mistake. I wished he was, it would make everything so much easier. Less painful.

There was so, _so_ much she didn't know.

* * *

After I managed to place myself back into a reasonably good mood, Edward eventually left and, as I closed the door behind him, I closed my eyes and sunk to the floor. _What a day._ It had seemed never-ending, and all I wanted to do right now was sleep. Then again, sleep silently scared me. The nightmares tended to creep in...

As if entertaining the usual clients wasn't tiring enough, for the past hour I had been forcing conversation with somebody who I really didn't want to be in company with. That had turned out to be more exhausting than anything.

Well, at least from today I'd learnt three things.

First, Edward was a nerd.

Second, there was a part of him, and I didn't know how dominant that part might be, that was destined to make me feel awkward.

And third, I was unconditionally pissed off with him.

I pulled myself upwards and reached for my things, before hastily heading out towards my real flat.

* * *

I had barely closed the door behind me when Alice suddenly popped up by my side, grinning happily. I eyed her carefully as she grabbed my hands.

"Guess what?"

I placed my keys on the table, telling myself not to let my frustration out on Alice. It wasn't her fault, after all. I managed to smile a little. "Oooh, I dunno... excuse me while I retune my psychic abilities-"

I paused, massaging my temples. "I'm guessing... it's something to do with this Jasper?"

She squealed. "Yeah! He came over earlier and-" She trailed off dreamily and I looked towards her with curiosity. "He kissed me!"

I smiled weakly for her as she pulled me into a hug.

"I'm really happy about all this, Bells! He might be _the One_!"

I winced, imagining another wedding, but nodded encouragingly. "I think this deserves a celebration!"

Her eyes sparkled. "Shall I get some wine and crisps?"

I rubbed my hands together. "Sounds fantastic, but I think we should push the boat out this time and get some dip as well."

She laughed. "Consider it done."

* * *

"So, what happened exactly?" I asked Alice, quickly sipping my wine. It pleased me to realise that what had happened earlier seemed a distant memory. The sudden dizziness I was feeling seemed to drown it out and make all my problems seem insignificant.

In simpler terms, I was a bit tipsy.

"Well," Alice leaned forward. "I was just watching the television..." (I couldn't be bothered to point out the fact that she'd promised to spend her day looking for job applications.) "And there was this sudden knock on the door and," she gestured with her hands, "There he was. In all his epic glory."

She grinned. "And he swept me in his arms and just kissed me, saying he couldn't wait any longer. And he called me darlin' which was just _adorable_."

We both sighed and I poured myself some more wine. "I'm really pleased for you, Alice." I was also pleased that my words were beginning to slur. I definitely needed to cloud my memory after today.

She grinned goofily. "_And_, he's invited us to a party tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow?" I repeated. "_Us_? You mean... me as well?"

She nodded, a little too eagerly because she nearly slumped forwards. "Yup. I talk about you all the time and he wants to meet you."

My eyes bulged, but Alice quickly added, "Don't worry, I didn't mention your job."

I sighed. "What's the party for?"

"It's someone's birthday apparently, but it should be fun!"

I frowned a little. "And what time is it?"

"Nine," she answered. "Why, you haven't got anything planned have you?"

I shook my head. "Don't think so." I suddenly perked up. "But yes, it sounds like a great idea. Bring it on."

Alice laughed happily and raised her glass. "Cheers."

"Cheers," I murmured, longing for a deeper escape. It was kind of depressing to think what my life was coming to.


	3. Chapter Three

**That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Three_

I awoke the next morning with a dull ache towards the back of my head and groaned in protest, slumping back into my pillow. There was a slight ringing in my ears and I could feel a wave of nausea rolling in my stomach.

It took me a few moments to realise what day it was, and I smiled a little in the realisation that I didn't have any work today. However, I then felt my throat tightening as I remembered what had happened yesterday.

Ugh, I hated my life sometimes.

I closed my eyes, trying to get a little bit more sleep, but my mind was too active to rest. I dragged myself upright, grumbling to myself. _So much for a day off._

I peeked over at my alarm clock and moaned at the time; 9am. I didn't know whether I could stomach the early Sunday morning TV, and I didn't fancy sitting here having too much time to think. I sighed heavily, placing my head in my hands. After a moment's deliberation, I pulled on my nightgown and headed towards the kitchen for a cup of coffee. It was then that I heard a strange sound coming from the bathroom, and I suddenly realised it was Alice.

I ran quickly towards the door and called, "Alice? Alice, are you alright?"

Her response was another eye-watering retch and I winced; what was making her sick?

"Alice? Alice?" I reached for the door handle but realised with a jolt of worry that it was firmly locked. "Alice, let me in! I need to help you! Alice!"

There was a moment of silence before the door clicked, and Alice stood in the doorway looking pale and blotchy. Nerves flipped through my body; was there something seriously wrong? She looked so _ill_.

"I think I had too much wine last night," she croaked, smiling weakly. I watched as she dithered towards the sofa, slumping down head-first into a pillow. A low groan escaped her lips and I heard her mumble, "Could you get me some water please, Bells?"

I nodded, heading towards the tap. After I poured some water, I headed back towards her and handed her the glass, which she slowly sipped at through her cracked lips.

"Blimey, Alice," I sighed, sitting by her side. "I've never seen you this bad before."

She grumbled something incoherent before saying, "I know... it sucks."

I leaned back against the sofa, closing my eyes. "D'ya think you'll be alright for later?"

When there was no reply, I looked up to see Alice peeking at me with clear confusion. This was surely the hangover from hell, by the looks of things.

"The party..." I explained slowly. "The one which Jasper invited us to."

Realisation hit her and she groaned. "Ugh." There was a long pause, before she added, "I just have one question, Bells."

Knowing her incredibly well, I pulled myself up. "I'll get the painkillers now."

Painkillers, huh. If only there was a tablet to kill the emotional pain, as well as the physical pain.

* * *

Three hours later and Alice was still curled up on the couch, wrapped heavily in a blanket which I'd provided for her. She was a little better, but I was still worried deep down.

Another re-run of _The Simpsons _was showing on the TV when I heard the familiar sound of my mobile ringtone. I leapt upwards, grumbling to myself. It was my work mobile, and I could swear that if anyone was demanding me today, I would lash out and probably wouldn't be responsible for my actions...

"Hello?" I answered breathlessly.

"Bella," came a familiar, sharp voice that was cold and lacked any emotion. "It's Yvonne."

_Oh joy_. My favourite person in the world; my lovely boss.

"Hi," I replied, biting my lip.

"Bella, I need a favour."

I slowly closed my eyes. Not today, _please_.

"Yvonne, I've got plans for today... I really can't-"

"Somebody's called in sick and a client is expecting to see her," she continued obliviously and I moved my hand into an irritated fist. Did she not just hear what I'd said?

"So I was wondering if you could step in for her," she finished, in her blunt, nasal-voice.

"Um... Yvonne, I've..."

"There's no option, Bella, be there at 8pm tonight."

And with that, she hung up.

It's at times like these that I wish I could hire an assassin.

She expected me, at completely last minute, to entertain a client at 8 o'clock tonight, when just one hour later I had a party to go to. If I didn't turn up, I'd be fired, and then both Alice and I wouldn't have a job, and we'd probably end up losing our flat and living out on the street in the freezing cold, with people staring at us in disgust as we begged for money to get a decent meal.

Okay, perhaps I was over-reacting a little. But it seemed like the simple solution would be to take the job.

Darn.

I chucked my mobile onto the nearest surface and dragged myself back into the room to join Alice. To my surprise, she was sitting upwards and had some more colour in her cheeks. She smiled towards me as I sat down by her.

"You look better," I commented, untangling my hair absently with my fingers.

"Yeah," she murmured. "But you don't look too good. Bad phone call?"

"Yvonne. She's asked me to take a job at 8pm tonight."

Alice winced at my words. "Will you still make it to the party? I really would like you to meet Jasper..."

Her puppy-dog eyes refused me to say no, so I shook my head, "I'll be there. I'll just be a little late."

She grinned. "Phew." Following that, she jumped upwards. "Now, I need to get a dress for later. Wanna join me?"

"Of course," I replied. _Anything to get out of the flat_.

* * *

A few hours later, I was on my way towards the apartment. I groaned as I made my way up the stairs,_ really _not wanting to be there. It was when I reached the top that I noticed a thick book on my doorstep.

A Physics textbook.

Well, that explains everything; yesterday must have been opposite day, like in that Spongebob episode. When I'd told Edward that I didn't want the textbook, he'd heard me say that I _did_ want it.

Perhaps he was mentally challenged, or just completely and utterly moronic.

I kicked the book to the side and reached for my key. A voice from behind me made me lurch forwards and I whizzed around, completely surprised to see Edward standing there.

Fantastic. _Brilliant timing, Bella_.

"Um, hi!" I blinked wildly. "Fancy seeing you here."

His expression looked hurt. Had he seen me attacking the stupid textbook?

"I'm... I-I'm guessing you don't w-want the textbook, then?" he asked quietly and I saw that underneath his large glasses his eyes were avoiding me.

I swallowed. "Um, er, no, of course I do! I... I was just... I didn't have any hands free and it was in my way... and..." _Now who was stammering?_

He nodded slowly. "Okay... Well... well I know when I'm n-not wanted. I was just trying to h-help." He turned around and I found myself calling after him.

"I was coming to see you again, b-but I can tell I'm clearly an inconvenience," he said. "I'm s-sorry for bothering you."

Once he was gone I couldn't understand the strange guilt I was feeling. I punched the door in frustration.

Still, on the bright side, I was finally rid of him and I also had tonight free now... _Wahey_. I turned on my heel and rushed down the stairs, heading back home. On my way down, however, I spotted Edward again. With Yvonne.

Oh crumbs.

"Is... uh, is everything alright here?" I asked, leaning against the wall. Oh no, he can't be complaining or something...?

Although I wouldn't blame him.

"No, it's not actually," Yvonne snapped in her cold voice. "Edward here was just telling me about your somewhat disastrous meeting."

"Uh, no... I, I wasn't... I just..."

Yvonne held up her hand to silence him. "Well, I bumped into him. He was hardly satisfied with your services."

"Yvonne I-"

She interrupted me. "I don't care for your crappy excuses, you just listen to me. Get back up those stairs, and give this man his money's worth." She turned to face Edward. "I do apologise, sir."

He looked completely startled and glanced at me. "I'd... I'd rather not. Not t-tonight."

Yvonne shook her head. "I really do insist..."

Edward began walking away. "N-no." His voice was strangely firm. "Thankyou, anyway. Goodnight."

He disappeared and I closed my eyes slowly, waiting for the enslaught. "Well, that was fantastic, Miss Swan. Good going. You'd better watch yourself next time, lady." She stormed off and I couldn't help hoping that someone was hiding behind a bush, ready with a weapon of some sort.

* * *

I rushed back into the flat a few minutes later to be greeted by Alice.

"You were quick," she pointed out as I slammed my keys on the kitchen counter.

"Please... just, don't mention it."

She nodded silently, while I sighed with guilt. "Sorry, bad moment. Ignore me."

I rushed into the bathroom to get ready without another word.

* * *

Within five minutes or arriving at the party, I had come to a basic conclusion.

It was one of those parties where I really, _really _didn't want to be there. I didn't know anybody and, to be perfectly honest, they all seemed quite... intimidating. Everyone looked at me like I was a piece of dirt off their shoe and I was beginning to feel paranoid.

Surely they couldn't know?

I peeked around the room, looking for the exit. I estimated how long it would take me to sprint towards the door and run back home without being spotted.

Hmm. Perhaps that would be a bit too obvious. And I'd probably stumble around with these ridiculously high heels and break my ankle.

I stood on the spot like an awkward penguin and swigged on my drink desperately. Why did I always end up in these situations? It wasn't like I had done anything to deserve it.

Well, besides being a prostitute. But that's no biggie.

I winced at the pain coming from my feet and made my way towards the seats. I gratefully sat down and leaned back, staring at the people dancing and watching the lights blazing. Without any warning, it brought back a raw memory from my wedding night.

_David placed his arms around my waist and pulled me closer towards him. We swayed gently to the music at the reception, and I was the happiest I had ever been._

_"You're finally my wife," he smiled, gazing down at me. I grinned in response. __"Yes, it's taken a long time but we got there in the end."_

_I rested on his shoulder and closed my eyes. I was vaguely alarmed by a whisper in my ear._

_"I love you, Bella."_

_I smiled in bliss. "I love you, too, David."_

A deep voice brought me back to reality, and I noticed a muscular man waving a drink in front of my face. I blinked and focused on him.

"Hi there, you look like you need a drink," he grinned.

I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He took a seat by my side and placed the glass on the table. "Well... you've been sat there staring into space for a good while, and it looked like thirsty work."

_Is he trying to be funny?_

"Have you been spying on me?" I asked, gratefully accepting the drink. "That thought's quite worrying..."

He laughed. "Well, I couldn't keep my eyes off you." He paused, holding out a hand. "I'm Emmett, by the way."

I eyed him carefully, before shaking his large hand. "And I'm Bella."

He raised an eyebrow. "It's great to meet you."

Feeling a little emotionally drained, I was desperately contemplating a way to escape his company. Before I could come up with any ideas, though, Alice suddenly sprung in front of me, towing a man behind her. It was only when he stepped out into the light that my heart quite literally stopped for a brief moment.

"Hi Bella!" she smiled. "Finally, here's Jasper!"

I couldn't move, so I just stared. Jasper. Jasper Hale. Now I knew why the name was familiar.

I'd seen his long, curly hair and steely eyes before. I'd seen him without any clothes, lying next to me.

I'd slept with him before my best friend, his _girlfriend_, had.

He'd been a client of mine.

I swallowed and met his shocked gaze. He recognised me too. He knew who I was. I could see him trying to maintain his composure as Alice peeked up at him.

"Jasper, this is Bella."

He blinked several times before holding out a hand.

"B-Bella... it's nice to meet you."

Again.


	4. Chapter Four

**That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Four_

I think I just rightfully earned my award for 'Awkward Moment of the Year.' Or at the very least, a nomination.

I couldn't quite manage any words for a long time because flashbacks kept flickering in front of my eyes. It had been _such _a long time ago, yet everything now seemed clear in my mind. This was bad... _Really_ bad.

Luckily, Alice brought me out of the shock with a chirpy comment. "Good thing you've met the birthday boy! Saves any more introductions."

I stared at her like an idiot and she gestured behind me. The guy whose name I already couldn't remember flashed me a big grin.

"Emmett! It is his party, after all," Alice explained, laughing a little.

I raised my eyebrows, managing a small smile. "Oh. Well... happy birthday, Emmett."

He laughed. "Thanks. You can buy me a drink next time. I'm not paying all night."

I frowned, feeling irritated at his nerve. "Oh, can I? We'll see about that."

I was suddenly distracted by Alice nudging Jasper suspiciously. She had a strange look on her face, but Jasper still looked full of shock. He caught my eye and quickly glanced at the floor, blinking wildly.

"So, uh, Bella? Can I please have a quick word?" Alice asked. "I won't tear you away from Emmett for too long, I promise..." I nodded, heading out with her. On the way, I embarrassingly brushed against Jasper who looked completely and permanently bewildered. I was going to send him an apologetic look but he had rushed off, talking busily to someone at the bar.

A few moments later, Alice and I stopped outside and she smiled shyly at me.

"So, what do you think?"

I closed my eyes; I really was in a complete daze tonight.

"I'm sorry... I don't really understand what you're on about."

She rolled her eyes. "Jasper!" She said this as though it was completely obvious. "What do you think of him?"

I immediately felt a wave of nausea pass through me. Was this going to be the start of a web of lies? Then again, thinking of all the things I was already keeping from Alice, a few more lies wouldn't hurt, surely?

"He seems very... nice," I eventually said. Alice looked disappointed. "Nice? Just..._ nice_?"

I leaned heavily against the wall. "He's great Alice. I think he's the right one for you."

She grinned happily. "Really? What makes you think that?"

I exhaled. "Um... well he seems very protective of you... that's always a good sign."

"Yeah," she sighed dreamily. Well, at least _she_ was happy. "Although he did seem a bit shocked when he first saw you, Bella. Have you met before?"

My eyes bulged; Alice's close and somewhat scary observations could sometimes be a pain.

"Really? I... I don't think so." I tried to sound nonchalant and it seemed to work because Alice moved on from the subject. "Another important thing... you seem to be getting on well with Emmett! Did you see him looking at you all the time?"

I really couldn't deal with anymore of this. Not tonight.

"No, I didn't. He's... he's not my type anyway."

"But Bella, I thought you were pretty flexible. Y'know. Considering what you do and everything." Her comment was enough to make me flip and the red haze descended.

"Alice, that makes me sound like a piece of trash, like I'm easy or something. How do you think that makes me feel?"

I stormed back inside without waiting for her reply and sat by myself with my head in my hands. I didn't like the idea of Alice having such a low opinion of me. No, I _hated_ it. It made me feel worthless.

Then again, perhaps I _was_ the equivalent to a pile of trash. That's what many people would think of me if they knew what I did.

I was interrupted by a large shadow looming over me and I glanced up to see Emmett once again. I wanted to snap at him, but didn't have a chance because he hurled me upright with one hand. I gave him a glare as he dragged me through the crowds of people.

"What are you doing?" I shouted above the music. "Emmett!"

"You looked unhappy, so I thought we could dance," he slurred and I could smell the alcohol on his breath. Gosh, it didn't take much to get him drunk. Either that, or he'd been seriously knocking them back while we were gone.

His strong arms gripped my body and I didn't like how trapped I felt. Everyone around us seemed oblivious and I just wanted to cry out; I really didn't feel like it at that moment. He swung me around and laughed stupidly, shaking moronically to the music. The disco lights around me began to blind my eyes and I felt sick as Emmett spun me about, seeming to ignore my protests.

Suddenly, everything became still and I saw Emmett staring at someone over my shoulder with a look of clear annoyance. I turned around and the lights flashed onto the person's face. I quickly realised that it was Jasper.

"Excuse me, Emmett, but I don't think Bella wants to dance with you at the moment," he said in a voice full of authority. "Let her go."

Emmett paused and suddenly let go of me before rushing off deeper into the crowd. I rubbed my eyes and felt Jasper's hand on my shoulder.

"Let's sit down." He ushered me towards a seat. "I think we need to talk anyway."

It felt like everyone in the room should have been staring at us, but they carried on dancing obliviously. I could see that Emmett was busy fondling someone else and I was worried by the wave of fear I felt whenever I caught his eye. He certainly didn't look happy with me.

That fear turned into a wave of discomfort as my gaze turned to Jasper, who was sat rigidly by my side. I suddenly felt very, _very_ tired by it all. This day had seemed neverending. I sighed and took a deep breath.

"Jasper, I-"

My attempt was interrupted. "Bella, please can we forget about what happened before? I don't think it would be wise to dwell on something that's clearly in the past."

"I couldn't agree more," I replied, full of relief. "I'm sure that... well, you're happy with Alice now."

He nodded, meeting my stare. "Yes. I... I was in a very low place when I visited you. No offence or anything. I don't want to imply that I was using you."

I shook my head. "Isn't that what I'm for anyway?"

He looked uncomfortable, so I hastily changed the subject.

"So, how do you know Emmett?"

He relaxed a little. "I used to go to school with him. We were recently reunited at some school thing." His gaze moved to the people dancing. "He's not usually this wild... only really after he's had a few drinks."

I raised my eyebrows. "Wild is definitely the correct word. He was like an animal."

He laughed. "Yes. I agree."

We were silent for a while before Jasper suddenly asked, "Do you still... y'know. Are you still a -?"

I nodded and so did he. I could feel the tension prickling between us.

"I'm not proud of it," I said quietly. "But I feel like it's all I can do."

"What makes you think that?" he inquired. "I'm sure you're intelligent enough to secure a job where you're fully appreciated..."

I shook my head. "It's complicated."

He pondered something for a moment. "You look like a teacher to me. Perhaps that could be a new career path?"

I nearly snorted. "What, with my history? If they knew, I wouldn't even get considered, yet alone given the job." My thoughts turned towards Edward teaching Physics and I shuddered at the memory of the scenario earlier.

He cleared his throat. "So... does Alice know?

"Yeah. I think she's okay with it, though," I replied carefully.

His expression remained the same and it looked like he was thinking about saying something else. My curiosity, however, got the better of me and I asked him, "What do you do?"

"I'm a musician. Not really professionally, I just play in the clubs and bars with my band."

My eyebrows raised. "Really? Wow."

"Didn't Alice mention it to you? She always goes on about it..."

I laughed. "No, she didn't mention it. Although she talks about you a _lot." _I suddenly thought about me snapping at her earlier and felt a stab of guilt. Perhaps I was a little out of order...

"On several occasions she's requested that I write a song for her," he chuckled. "But it's difficult... there aren't any words I can use to sum up how I feel."

I smiled at him. He really was the perfect gentleman. Romantic, too. "Do you play any instruments?"

He nodded. "Yeah, the guitar. Ever since I was five, it came naturally to me. How about you? Do you play anything?"

I laughed. "Does the triangle count?" He smirked and I frowned. "Actually, sometimes I can play a tune with empty bottles. Not that I'm an alcoholic or anything."

A small smile made its way onto his face. "That's certainly a talent."

It was amazing how natural it felt to talk to Jasper. Our past really did seem like it was... well, in the past now. Hopefully, we'd become good friends in the future. I couldn't think about this for too long, though, because someone suddenly rushed up behind me, shouting at Jasper.

"You're Alice's boyfriend, right?" she asked hurriedly. Jasper nodded warily and was suddenly pulled upwards.

"There's something wrong with Alice, she's fainted in the bathroom!" Before she could finish, Jasper had rushed off and I called after him, trying to remain calm.

"Jasper! Jasper, wait for me! _Jasper_!"

I tried to edge past the crowds but was stopped suddenly by somebody gripping my arm. I turned around and saw that it was, once again, Emmett. I would have hit him if he didn't look so damn intimidating. He reminded me of a cruel school bully, manipulating everybody around him.

"Bella, you're gonna dance with me now," he ordered, yanking me away. I looked helplessly towards the door and saw a glimpse of Jasper's figure flying outside. It was strange; now that I was out of his presence I felt horribly vulnerable. He was the type of person who provided an instant sense of security.

"No, Emmett!" I cried. "Please, I need to see Alice!"

It was as if my voice was a mere whisper, because he continued pulling me. I was forced past the dance floor and, to my surprise, we headed outside into the chilly air.

I was beginning to get _very_ worried at that point.

"Emmett, please I…"

My pleas were cut off when his large hand clamped over my mouth. I screeched as he pushed me up against the damp wall with a considerable force, causing my head to whack against it with a dull thud.

His breath was saturated with the stench of alcohol and my heart was beating furiously. _What was he doing? Or did I really want to know?_

"Bella," he grinned, but his smile didn't fool me; it looked more like a sneer. I glanced around desperately and noticed that the place was completely deserted; he had somehow dragged me into an alleyway. I'd been too scared before to really notice my surroundings.

Now that I did look around, I saw that there were dirty puddles on the floor and bins in the distance. It was dark, and only the faint moonlight illuminated Emmett's terrifying face. I didn't like the somehow hungry look in his eyes.

_Oh God._

His grip on my mouth didn't ever slacken; it seemed to become tighter as he forced himself closer to me. I had no room to breathe, and a pain was slowly spreading across the back of my head.

If I shouted, would anyone hear me? Or would he become so angry at me for doing so that I'd soon regret it? I shivered involuntarily.

"Now that _Jasper's_ out of my way, I can have my way with you," he laughed, placing his other hand on my arm. The way he spat his name, full of contempt, nobody would have believed that they were friends.

That didn't matter, though. I was having trouble breathing and his voice made goosebumps spread across my skin. There had only ever been one time before in my life where I'd felt this scared, and it made me sick to think of it.

He suddenly removed his hand from my mouth and I tried to scream, but my throat felt raw. Tears streamed down my cheeks, yet he just smirked horribly.

"Don't worry, Bella, I'll make you feel all better."

Before I could respond, his lips crushed against mine and his hands were on either side of my head placed on the wall, giving me no room to move. His power was unfightable and I prayed that someone would come along and help me.

But who did I have, in all honesty? Alice had collapsed, and Jasper was preoccupied with helping her. Besides them, there was nobody near me who cared enough to help.

That thought brought me to tears as he continued to attack me.


	5. Chapter Five

**That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Five_

Emmett's wide body continued to block my vision and all I could smell was the alcohol on his breath; it was disgusting and turned my stomach. I heard him practically growling as he attacked me; it was like he was some kind of wild animal, ruthless in achieving its aims. His fingers scrammed against my skin several times, but I couldn't feel any pain; everything was dulled out by the pure shock of what was happening. I felt numb.

He muttered something in my ear which I couldn't quite understand and went to reach for my hair, but was interrupted suddenly by somebody behind him. He hastily whipped around and revealed Jasper, who was standing there with an expression mixed between distress and surprise. I had never been so grateful to see somebody in my entire life. It took all my restraint to not hurl myself into his arms.

"I'm, er, sorry to bother you two, but Bella..." He gaze turned towards me. "Alice is being taken to the hospital, we're just waiting for the paramedics. I thought you'd like to come."

I was a little dazed and had to swallow several times before managing my answer. "Oh... right. Yeah. Of course."

I should have told him, right then. But, as I walked towards him, Emmett gripped onto my arm, causing me to jump in surprise.

"I'll see _you_ soon." He said it with a wink and in a menacing tone which only I could hear; Jasper probably misheard it as him being playful. I shivered terribly.

"Come on," Jasper said. "We need to hurry."

We made our way back inside and pushed through the bar. The music was thumping loudly and I had to shout to be heard by Jasper. "How is she?"

A frown of worry appeared on his forehead. "I'm not so sure. She didn't look too good." He stared off into the distance and I saw his eyes watering.

"It'll be alright, you know," I told him, trying to reassure us both.

He rubbed his forehead. "No! It... it just seems that everything I touch seems to go wrong!" He paused. "I thought my life was back on track, but now I've just caused this to happen to Alice! She said she wasn't well earlier, yet she still came here for me! I-"

I reached out for his hand. "Jasper! You can _not _blame yourself for this! You're the best thing that's ever happened to Alice! It's probably the drink that's caused this, not you! I'm sure of it. Don't speak like that."

He didn't look convinced, just pulled me towards the bathroom.

"I didn't know you liked Emmett," he said offhandly, causing me to frown.

"Believe me, I _don't_."

My tone closed the topic and we soon reached the ladies toilets. In the corner there was a random person loitering around, and I suddenly felt a burst of guilt; why was she here? Alice was_ my_ friend, not hers, yet I had only just joined her side.

I knelt down beside her and stared down at her sprawled, pale body. She seemed to incredibly helpless and weak, almost like a corpse.

Everything suddenly became too much and I started to cry uncontrollably. My chest heaved, my nose ran, and I felt sick. Why was this happening? Surely I couldn't lose someone else so special?

It horrified me even more how selfish that was.

I felt Jasper's hand on my back when a few men in uniform suddenly burst into the room. I jumped up and hurriedly wiped my nose with my sleeve. The paramedics crowded around Alice and helped her out while I joined Jasper's side. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gently hugged me.

"Don't worry... she's gonna be alright. I hope."

It seemed like we were both the same; always desperately trying to reassure ourselves when we were actually terrified of what could happen.

* * *

Time can be really sluggish at the worst of times. It felt like we'd been at the hospital for hours, yet we'd only been there for just over thirty minutes.

Jasper and myself were waiting in the room together and watching hopelessly as several nurses and doctors rushed by in a continuous steam. I could vaguely hear the ticking of the clock in the background and it sounded horrendously ominous, taunting us. I placed my head in my hands and knelt on my knees. Following this, I slowly closed my eyes and, before I could control it, my mind leapt cruelly back to a few years ago.

_I was in the waiting room, still wearing my bloodied wedding dress. Foreign, unfamiliar people stared as they walked by and I couldn't blame them. I'd had to walk through the raging storm outside to gain a phone signal for the ambulance, leaving David all on his own, being so vulnerable. It had terrified me, what with the weather being so peculiar out in Spain. It seemed heartbreakingly appropriate._

_I was clinging onto the hope that he could somehow still be alive. Praying._

_He hadn't stirred when I got back, though, but the ambulance eventually found us. I still had the faint hope as we took the journey to the hospital. Surely they could revive him somehow? They could do anything nowadays._

_They had kept me waiting way too long and I quickly raced up to the door. I peeked inside the room and, to my complete horror, there was a flat line on the monitor and the Spanish doctors were quickly charging up some machinery. _

_My body went cold._

_One of the doctors noticed me staring and quickly closed the blinds. I was completely drained of strength and pressed my forehead against the glass. It felt like hours before the same doctor stepped outside with a smooth, emotionless face._

_"I'm sorry," he murmured in his Spanish accent. "He didn't, uh, make it."_

_I couldn't accept the truth. He wouldn't leave me like this. No. _

_"No, he's... he's..."_

_The doctor placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to be comforting. "I'm sorry. He lost, uh, too much blood."_

_The thought made me nauseous, and I__ slumped to the floor and sobbed in a traumatised heap. Nobody came to aid me, for I was just a lonely stranger._

"Bella?"

Jasper's voice brought me back to the present and I wiped away a silent tear before glancing over at him. My neck moved upwards as I realised he was standing. To my surprise, he had a smile on his face. "The doctors have said we can see Alice." He was practically beaming. "She's gonna be okay!"

I followed him through to the room and saw Alice sitting up in the bed with a blond doctor by her side. He smiled warmly at us when we entered, and closed the door quietly behind me. We both took our seats and I smiled at Alice, who still looked alarmingly drowsy.

"Hi," she croaked, slurring her words a little. "I really am sorry about all this, I probably had too much to drink. I-"

"Alice, don't be silly," Jasper sighed. "We're just relieved you're back with us!" He smiled crookedly and gripped her hand tightly.

I turned towards the doctor and he began speaking in a professional yet unmistakably friendly tone. "I'm Dr Cullen. I've been checking over Alice and, at the moment, I'm rather... puzzled."

I tried to keep my face straight as I recognised his surname. Surely it was just a coincidence. And besides, this wasn't the time to be bringing my personal matters into everything.

"Why is that?" I glanced over at Jasper who had raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Well, I'm going to need to perform a few more tests before I'm happy to release Alice." He turned to smile at her. "I'm sure everything will be fine, though. There's no need to worry."

Alice smiled weakly and I recognised her expression immediately. I could tell that she was secretly scared but was putting on a brave face for everyone. That was typical of her.

"I'll give you some time to rest and will come back tomorrow morning." He stood up, clutching a clipboard to his chest. "Have a good night and try not to panic; it won't do you any good."

He headed towards the door and I stood up after him. "Hey, can I have a quick word please? I won't be a moment."

He looked a little confused but nodded regardless, opening the door for me. We walked along the corridor and I chewed my lip anxiously. Perhaps this hadn't been such a great idea. Still, I had to ask him now.

"I... I was just wondering if there's anything seriously wrong with Alice?" I asked, avoiding the subject that I really wanted to bring up. I was such a coward sometimes.

He looked at me carefully with his concerned brown eyes. "I'm not too sure at the moment but, like I said, it's unlikely to be anything serious." He smiled reassuringly and I suddenly felt a little more relaxed. "There's no need to worry."

I closed my eyes. "It's hard not to."

He nodded. "I know. My son Edward was in a serious accident once. No matter how much people tried to reassure me, I didn't stop panicking until he was out of the hospital."

I blinked in surprise. It seemed that I didn't need to ask him after all. What a coincidence it was that I'd met them both.

"What happened to him?" I asked, before hastily adding, "If you don't mind me asking..."

He chuckled. "It's perfectly alright. He was in a road accident and nearly lost his arm. Luckily there were some very good doctors around." He stared ahead a bit, and I wondered what he was remembering. "The incident affected him greatly... his personality changed. He went from being interested in cars and mechanics to teaching Physics. It worries me sometimes... but he seems to be doing well for himself. He seems quite happy."

I nodded. "I'm sure he'll be alright."

He took a deep breath and smiled once more. "Yes. Anyway, I'd better go. Patients to attend to, lives to save."

I laughed. "Well, good luck with that."

He held out his hand. "It's been nice to meet you..."

"Bella, Bella Swan," I finished, shaking his hand. "And likewise."

After another warm smile, he disappeared quickly around the corner, his white medical coat flapping behind him.

I spun around and started to head back towards the ward when, in the distance, I spotted a figure which made my heart skip a beat.

Making his way towards me was Edward Cullen, of all people.

I made a strange squeaking noise and contemplated diving behind a tall plant to hide myself, but he quickly met my gaze and stood rooted on the spot. I saw his body jerk the other way and prayed that he had decided to leave, but he firmly nodded to himself and headed my way.

"Hi..." I managed. "Fancy seeing you here!"

He didn't look impressed. "Yes, well... my father works here. I wanted to s-see him." He eyed me up and down curiously. "W-Why are you here?"

"My friend," I answered. "She had an accident."

His expression softened momentarily. "Oh, I'm s-sorry to hear that. Is s-she alright?"

I nodded. "I think so. Thank you. Um, Edward?"

He met my eyes questioningly.

"I'm sorry for what happened the other day. I..."

He abruptly cut me off. "I'd better g-go, sorry. I really need to see my f-father."

"Oh. Okay... I-"

My voice trailed off as he sped out of sight. What a great day this was turning out to be.

I resignedly headed back to the ward and sat with Alice and Jasper, letting the time slip away.

* * *

That night both Jasper and myself stayed over at the hospital, but I couldn't sleep. We were both sat upright in uncomfortable plastic chairs and my mind was becoming distracted by all the beeping and movement around us. My thoughts soon wandered off and I began to wonder about myself.

I couldn't help thinking that it was wrong keeping all my secrets from Alice. I'd kept everything hidden for her for such a long time, and it seemed like today had shown me just how little time someone could have. I didn't want to have any regrets, and it seemed simple to tell her and _try_ to move on with my life. Maybe it would make things easier.

But would I want to burden her with everything?

My thoughts turned towards my family who I hadn't been able to face since the incident. They did deserve the truth. I'd never told them anything about the circumstances of David's death; I'd been too afraid.

Then the whole prostitution thing came to mind. That caused me more pain than anything else. In fact, it gave me a headache just thinking about it. Jasper soon came into the equation and I imagined what Alice would say...

And what about Emmett?

I felt myself becoming very tired and rubbed my eyes exhaustedly. Before I fell off to sleep, I could have sworn I saw a blond figure standing beside another man with familiar looking glasses just outside the room. I couldn't figure out who they were, though, because I drifted into unconsciousness in the chair.

* * *

It's never really advisable to fall asleep sitting upright. When I woke up, my neck was painfully stiff and it actually clicked when I tried to relieve the ache. I looked over towards Alice, who was still asleep, and then at Jasper who was smiling at me.

"I had that same problem earlier," he said, rubbing his neck. "Not our greatest idea."

I smiled. "No. Never mind, we'll all be home later today."

He sighed. "I hope so."

The door suddenly opened and Dr Cullen walked swiftly in. He acknowledged Jasper but gave me a strangely wary look, and proceeded to check Alice. He wrote something on his clipboard and spoke to Jasper.

"We'll have to take a blood test later when she wakes up. If you tell a nurse when she does, she'll bring in some breakfast."

"Alright, thank you, doctor."

He nodded and glanced at me once more before leaving. I couldn't understand where this coldness had come from; he'd seemed perfectly friendly yesterday.

I was busy pondering this when Alice suddenly sat rigidly upright and began jerking around uncontrollably.

She was having a seizure.


	6. Chapter Six

**That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Six_

Everyone panicked.

Jasper sprinted out of the room, desperately yelling for a doctor in the corridor, while I just stood there in complete shock, watching my best friend. This wasn't just a small problem anymore. I knew now that it was serious, and my stomach prickled with fear at the thought. I felt sick.

Dr Cullen soon ran in and promptly checked over Alice, before ordering a nurse to quickly inject something into her arm to stop the seizure. I watched with my breath held as Alice suddenly slowed down and stopped moving around. Her menacing monitor beeped a lot less frantically and she suddenly closed her eyes before slumping down onto the bed, sleeping like a baby.

Dr Cullen backed away slowly once he was satisfied that Alice was stable, and he glanced at Jasper with a very serious face.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to perform some more tests immediately," he said. "It seems that Alice's condition had deteriorated immensely."

"Oh, really?" Jasper retorted sarcastically. "Well done for spotting that."

Dr Cullen remained quiet and didn't respond to Jasper's comment. He was obviously used to these types of situations, dealing with the pain on a day-to-day basis.

I glanced at Jasper and saw that he suddenly looked very pale. "I'm... I'm sorry," he breathed. "But what's _wrong_ with her? Do you have any idea? Is it serious?"

The doctor seemed to stay calm, much to my annoyance. Why wasn't he worrying like us two? Didn't he realise the enormity of what was happening?

"We'll know once the tests are completed," he eventually replied and I exhaled. That meant nothing to us... didn't he realise that? As each minute passed I was becoming more irritated by him.

He quickly wheeled Alice out of the room, and Jasper and myself watched in despair as they disappeared around the corner. Now we had to wait.

* * *

Jasper hadn't said a single word ever since Alice's seizure and I knew that he was terrified. Sometimes I'd glance at him and he'd be staring ahead in such deep thought, and I knew he felt the same way as me. We both couldn't bear losing Alice. We just _couldn't_. She meant so much to the pair of us and it seemed unfair that she could be taken away from Jasper after only just meeting him.

Then again, nothing ever seemed fair.

As for me, she'd been my rock ever since what had happened. We'd shared laughs, tears, joy... I couldn't face the thought of her just being a memory. I didn't think I could deal with it. No, I knew I couldn't.

I could feel myself starting to cry so I quickly stood up and mumbled something to Jasper about wanting some fresh air. I wasn't sure whether he responded or not because I rushed towards the exit and quickly sat myself down on the nearest bench.

The tears flowed freely after that and I sobbed to myself, placing my head in my hands. I felt like a baby, but so much had happened to me over these past few days and I just felt emotionally drained. I knew I was being selfish, but I really didn't want this to be happening.

I was vaguely aware of it starting to rain but I continued to remain still on the bench with my knees pulled up to my chest. I stayed in my own little world for a while, full of old memories and thoughts.

During that moment, my life suddenly became very clear. I knew what I had to do.

I had to stop keeping secrets from Alice. In other words, she deserved the truth about David. I had to tell my family as well; I couldn't just shut myself away from them. They were my flesh and blood after all.

I had to quit prostitution. It was causing me such general pain and I didn't enjoy it _at all_. Surely there must be a more fulfilling job out there somewhere... I could get one if I tried hard enough. I think.

And thirdly, I had to support Alice as much as I possibly could.

Not much to ask of myself, then.

I sniffed and quickly wiped my face, preparing to stand up and go back inside. I stared at the hospital, seeing the people being wheeled around in chairs and the family's waiting expectantly in the rooms. I needed to be in there with Alice and Jasper, not out here feeling sorry for myself.

I then glanced to my left and saw someone sitting next to me with their hood pulled up.

"Shit!"

My heart began pounding from the fright, but I soon recognised the glasses and realised that it was Edward. Again. My shock soon turned to annoyance. Jeez, was he following me or something?

"You scared the life out of me!" I yelped, mentally cursing at him.

"I'm sorry," he replied, smiling a little.

I leaned back against the bench and stared up at the sky. "How long have you been there?"

"A few minutes," he answered, before adding, "You look wet." I frowned at him in irritation.

We were silent for a while before he stated, "And you look upset, too."

"For God's sake Edward, is it state the flaming obvious day?"

My remark caused him to jerk back and I sighed, closing my eyes.

"Yes, I am wet, and yes, I am upset." I paused. "My friend just had a seizure and it's not looking good."

"Oh." He seemed taken aback. "I'm sorry to hear that."

I began to study the cracks in the pavement while the rain continued to pour relentlessly onto my back. Pathetic fallacy, indeed.

"Do you want to borrow my coat?" Edward offered and I turned to glance at him.

"No, you'll get all wet if I do that," I answered. "But, uh, thanks anyway."

"But you'll make yourself ill," he protested. "You could get pneumonia."

"Good thing I'm right outside a hospital, then," I snapped.

I heard him sigh. "Bella, I know you're upset, but there's no need to take it out on me. I'm only trying to help you." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him stand up and watched as he headed back towards the hospital. I soon sighed and called, "I know, Edward, I'm _sorry_!"

He turned around and gestured for me to join him. "Why don't you come in? I'll get you a c-coffee."

I narrowed my eyes before giving in. What harm could it do, really? Things couldn't get any worse.

* * *

"I've got something to ask you."

Edward glanced at me over the rims of his glasses as I warmed my hands on my coffee. It was quite funny how scared he looked at my statement; it didn't take much to unsettle him. I snuggled into my blanket, which Edward had insisted the hospital supplied for me, as I considered my question.

"Why does your father suddenly dislike me? Dr Cullen, I mean."

His mouth fell open slightly and he hesitated. "I... I wasn't aware that he did..."

I frowned at him. "Well have you said anything to him? He was really cold with me earlier." There was no reply. "Please, Edward, just tell me."

He stared at his drink as though it was suddenly the most fascinating thing in the world. "Well... I, uh... I may have mentioned the fact that... well..." He looked around him self-consciously. "You know, your j-job."

I closed my eyes slowly. "Well that was tactful, Edward. Well done."

"He is my father, Bella, he has a r-right to know."

Why? It wasn't like we were close or anything.

Instead of asking this, I just groaned. "And is that _all_ you told him?"

He didn't meet my eyes. "Yes. That's all."

I raised an eyebrow; he definitely looked suspicious, but I just didn't have the energy to question him any further. "Well that's perfect."

We remained silent for a little while and I began to wring my hair with the blanket. I was aware of Edward watching me as I rubbed myself down.

"Shall I ask for another blanket? That one looks rather saturated now," he commented, pushing his chair out ready.

"No, no," I said. "Don't go to any trouble."

He frowned. "But-"

"Look, I'm alright now, thank you."

He chewed on his lip in uncertainty. "Alright. If you say so."

As he sat back down, I became vaguely aware at how much easier our conversation had seemed today. He still annoyed me - that was inevitable - yet it had become clear that I could actually hold a conversation with him now without lashing out on something. Hmm, it made a change.

"So is your friend having tests?" He asked this tactfully and I just sighed.

"Yeah, it's not looking good, really," I replied, gazing at the table. "I should be there for her, yet I'm here drinking coffee."

"Oh... well, sorry if I'm keeping you," he said, standing up. "I'd better g-go anyway."

He gave me a quick wave and I watched as he dashed off all of a sudden. On the way out he caught his leg on one of the chairs and nearly stumbled over. I couldn't help sniggering once he had disappeared out of sight.

It was strange how he was spending so much time around here. Sure, his father was a doctor, but he didn't have to hang around so much, surely?

Never mind. I had more important things to worry about.

* * *

I reached the ward a little while later and peeped my head through the blinds to see Alice sitting up, talking to Jasper. I didn't want to interrupt, so turned to head away, but I heard my name being called and saw Jasper waving.

"Come in," he said, smiling a little.

I took a deep breath and did so. The sight of Alice still alarmed me; it looked like she'd gotten thinner since last time. Her elbows were poking out and her arms were like sticks. Then, when I met her eyes, I realsied that they were bloodshot and that there were horrible purple bags underneath them.

What had happened to my vibrant best friend?

"Hi," I said weakly. "How are you feeling now?"

Alice groaned and the sound seemed to rattle in her throat. I glanced at Jasper in alarm but, with some effort, he kept his face straight.

"I'm sure you'll be alright, Al," I said, trying to break the awkward silence. "Maybe it's just a bad hangover."

She laughed weakly. "Yeah, right. You and I both know that's bullshit."

I remained quiet.

"This hospital food is foul," Alice suddenly commented, chucking her spoon into a yoghurt. "It practically caused me to puke earlier."

I raised my eyebrows, taking a look. "Seems nice enough to me."

"Yeah, well, you haven't had to forcefully eat this garbage," she moaned.

That put an end to the conversation again and I closed my eyes, imagining I was somewhere else. Jasper's voice made me jump.

"There's a man that keeps hanging around here," he commented. "Bronze hair, glasses, cardigans..."

I groaned. "That's Edward."

"You know him?" Jasper asked.

"Well... not really."

He looked confused. "He keeps looking in all the time, almost like he's checking up on us. He's beginning to bug me."

That was news to me. "Well he's Dr Cullen's son. Maybe he's helping him."

Jasper grumbled. "Alice needs to be left alone... if I see him once more..."

"Yeah, anyway," I interrupted, keen to change the topic. "When... uh, when are the results coming back?"

Alice met my gaze with clear panic. "I'm not sure. They had to do an MRI or something... it was really scary."

"MRI," I repeated slowly. "Sounds..."

"Serious?" Alice finished. "I think we all know there's something really wrong with me, now."

I frowned. "You'll be fine... it's probably just-"

"Bella, please stop trying to reassure me, I'm not a child," she snapped. "We've just got to accept it now."

We kept eye contact for a long time and I nodded. "Okay. I know. I know. Sorry."

There was a sudden knock on the door and all three of us turned to see Dr Cullen walking in. He had an extremely blank face and my heart began pounding. I could hear Alice fidgeting and gripped her hand, while Jasper gripped the other. I met his gaze and smiled weakly.

Dr Cullen took a seat and kept a grip on his clipboard. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, as though deliberating what to say.

"Please, just tell me," Alice said, and I looked at her in surprise. She squeezed my hand gently.

"Well the tests... the tests have concluded that there is a tumour in your brain," Dr Cullen began, and I felt the colour drain from my face. "The scan also showed us that..."

"Is it cancerous?" Alice suddenly asked, and I stared at her with watery eyes. I could see her shaking lightly.

"I'm sorry but yes, it is cancerous."

There was a shocked silence around the room and, through a croaky voice, Alice managed, "Can... can you s-save me?"

Dr Cullen met her eyes. "You're scheduled for an operation tomorrow. Luckily the surgeons believe the tumour is operable and that they'll be able to remove it. As for the cancer..." He sighed. "It depends whether it has spread or not."

Alice suddenly began sobbing and Jasper hugged her close. Dr Cullen stood up and walked towards the door. "I'll speak to you again later today."

He left us all in despair and my heart broke at the sight of Jasper and Alice, desperately clinging onto each other. They both looked so vulnerable and helpless.

I placed my head in my hands once more and let the new worry consume me.


	7. Chapter Seven

**That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Seven_

None of us slept that night.

Jasper and I both sat upright in the hospital chairs and, although I tried to close my eyes, the sound of Alice's sniffling always distracted me. I heard Jasper shifting about a lot of times and peeked through my eyelids to see him lying beside Alice and hugging her until she calmed down.

When the daylight gradually began to trickle through the hotel blinds I started to panic. The operation was today. _Brain surgery_. It all sounded so serious and dangerous... Was Alice strong enough to cope with it all? I honestly didn't know...

I glanced over at the person in question and saw that she was sat up, staring blankly into space. Jasper had fallen asleep and his head was resting on her shoulder, and I wanted to be him for a moment. Lost in a world of dreams.

Her eyes moved towards me and we both smiled weakly at each other. Her monitor was beeping more frequently than usual and I knew how she felt. My heart was beating so fast I expected it to give in under the strain at any moment.

"Big day today," she murmured as I reached for her hand.

I nodded numbly. "It's not everyday you have brain surgery."

That ended the conversation. _Well done Bella, that was tactful._

"I'm sure it will all be fine, though," I hastily added. My words didn't have any meaning; I was just saying them. I didn't even truly believe myself.

Before she could reply, the door opened and Dr Cullen poked his head through the gap. He smiled sympathetically at Alice and said, "It's an hour until your surgery, just thought I'd let you know. The surgeons will be down to prepare you in a little while."

Alice nodded rigidly and I saw him hesitate. "You'll be fine, there's no need to worry. They perform this kind of surgery everyday."

She was just staring ahead. "Everyone keeps telling me that, but I wish I could believe you." Her words were clipped and forced, and my heart ached for her. She was trying to be strong for everyone and the effort was showing. Any moment now she would break.

Dr Cullen had no response, and he just slipped away, leaving us in silence once again. After a long time, I heard Alice murmur something and I had to lean closer to hear her.

"I'm... I'm so s-scared, Bells," she whispered.

I met her eyes and they were full of tears. Her shoulders started shaking and I reached over to pull her close, waking Jasper up in the process. I saw him blink a few times and, after he remembered what was happening, he looked over to Alice and grabbed her hand.

"Don't cry, darling," he choked. "You'll get through this, just you wait."

We were all huddled together and at that moment I realised how much it would tear us apart for Alice to... God, I didn't even want to think about it.

My thoughts were interrupted suddenly by a vibration in my pocket, and I noticed that it was my mobile. I grumbled and excused myself before quickly stepping outside and angrily answering.

"_Hello_?"

"Bella."

The cold voice made my eyes close and I briefly considered throwing my phone out the window. I could imagine it landing smack bang in the middle of the road, and then a giant lorry would come by and run over it, smashing it into thousands of tiny pieces with a satisfying crunch.

Then again, my phone was innocent in all this. It wasn't the one to blame.

I sighed heavily. "Yvonne this is _not _a good time, I'm gonna have to-"

"Bella, where the _hell_ are you? You're expected at work today and-"

"Yvonne," I hissed. "My friend is in hospital. She needs me. I am _not _coming into work today." I said this slowly and clearly, trying to keep my temper under control.

I heard a sharp intake of breath. "Bella Swan, I do not_ care_ about your personal life."

My blood boiled. "I know, and that's why you're a mean, cold hearted_ bitch_!"

My voice had raised a very octaves and a few people stopped their conversations to glance over at me. I felt my cheeks flushing as I snapped my phone shut and stormed back into the room with Alice and Jasper.

"Wrong number?" Jasper joked halfheartedly, and I slumped down on my chair.

"Argh, seriously don't get me started." He chuckled quietly. "On a positive note, I may have lost my job,"I added.

He raised his eyebrows and stood up. "Okay... well, I've just told Alice that I need to go out for a bit. I'll be back in time before..." he hesitated. "Well, y'know. I'll be back."

I frowned after him as he waved at us both before hurrying down the corridor.

The clock continued to tick away threateningly as I babbled on mindlessly to Alice. I knew we weren't talking about anything important but I wanted to keep her mind off... well, things in general. She didn't need it right now.

"Are you gonna tell me more about this Edward Cullen?" she suddenly asked, leaning on her elbows to speak to me.

My eyes widened and I acted innocently. "Who?"

She sighed dramatically. "You know who I'm talking about, Bells."

I closed my eyes. "Well... he was a client of mine once and I've happened to bump into him a few times. He's a bit of a pain, really." I said this in one quick breath and caused her to frown.

"And I'm guessing he's told Dr Cullen all about you? Considering the way he looks at you sometimes, he seems pretty unimpressed."

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me," I grumbled. "Edward told me that he told his father about our... uh, meeting. Which isn't great, to be honest. I could do with all the glares. Just imagine what he thinks of me!"

"It doesn't matter what he thinks," Alice answered. "And anyway, I thought you said you've lost your job now anyway."

"I hope I have. I honestly couldn't deal with it anymore."

Alice smiled. "I'm glad. Maybe it's time."

I smiled back when Jasper suddenly rushed back in and took his spot beside Alice. I could see that his hair was messy and that his face was flushed; he'd obviously been running around like a maniac. A nice maniac, though.

"Alice," he said softly. "I... I know this may seem too soon, but well, I've..." he sighed. "I've never felt this way before."

I watched with shock as he reached into his pocket and retrieved a small, dark box. He leaned towards Alice who was watching with surprised, wide eyes.

"Ever since I first met you, I just knew you were the one," he continued. "It sounds cheesy, but it really was love at first sight. I love everything about you... your personality, your hair, your eyes, your smile, _everything_. And it only feels right to ask you," he opened the box and took a deep breath, "To be my wife."

Inside the box was a beautiful golden ring, encrusted with wonderful diamonds that glittered under the lights. My mouth fell open and we waited in silence for Alice to say something. She was just staring in disbelief.

"Jasper... I... I don't know what to say!" she gasped.

"A yes would be helpful," he laughed, and I could tell that he was anxiously waiting for her answer.

She met his gaze for a long moment. "Of course, I'd love to!"

Jasper burst into a relieved smile and hugged Alice with all his strength, before placing the ring on her finger. He kissed her hand and turned towards me happily. I smiled back, feeling complete joy for them both. I knew it was all a bit rushed but, considering the circumstances, Jasper had made the right move.

"Congratulations," I choked out, reaching over to kiss them both. "You did say that Alice Hale had a ring to it, didn't you?"

Alice blushed a deep red. "Yeah, well..."

She didn't finish and we all laughed. I could imagine that just after the operation, Alice would come out planning the wedding and sending me around to order flowers and...

My thoughts turned icy. _After the operation._

I glanced at the clock; just a few minutes now. I could tell that Alice and Jasper were thinking the same thing because they pulled each other closer and made the last of their moments together worth it.

It all made me feel very lonely.

No, I shouldn't be so selfish. Not now.

I leaned over and gave Alice one last squeeze. "You'll be fine. In a few weeks' time we'll all be trying on dresses."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "I hope you're not including me with that..."

I smirked. "You'd look good in a dress."

Alice laughed, and it sounded a little forced. "Yeah. Hopefully, Bells."

There was a knock on the door and a group of doctors walked in.

"Are you ready?"

The question didn't really mean anything; Alice had to have this operation whether she was ready or not. Still, she nodded weakly and the doctors suddenly crowded around her. Before I could do anything, she was being wheeled away and Jasper kissed her for one last time.

"Good luck, darling," he whispered. "I love you so much."

Alice gave us both smiles. "I love you too."

And then she was around the corner, off into the operating room.

The silence suddenly became deafening.

I turned to Jasper who was just standing still, looking completely lost.

"What now?" I asked, looking around me.

"Now... we wait," he replied simply.

* * *

After about half an hour I became fed up with sitting outside the room and told Jasper that I was going for a walk.

I made my way along the corridor and was unnerved to see Dr Cullen heading in my direction. I bit my lip and nearly squeaked as he met my gaze, but he didn't seem angry this time. In fact, he continued to walk towards me and spoke to me when we met.

"Um, Miss Swan, would it be possible to have a quick word?"

I nodded numbly, feeling a little confused. I thought he hated me...

"I just wanted to say that I am sorry for any... negative feelings you may have received from me. I realise that they were unnecessary and inappropriate, considering the situation your friend is in at the moment."

I swallowed. "Um... thanks. Thank you."

He smiled warmly. "I was a little judgemental and I apologise for that. Edward has told me that you are, indeed, a very friendly person."

I raised my eyebrows. "He did? You've been talking about me?"

He looked momentarily uncomfortable and shifted the weight between his feet. "Well... I, we only spoke about you briefly."

Something about his eyes told me that he was lying, but I chose to ignore it. It didn't really matter at that moment.

"Anyway, I'm just heading to the cafe," I finally said, jerking my thumb stupidly. It was all becoming a bit awkward.

"Alright, well... I hope your friend's operation goes according to plan."

"Thank you," I murmured, heading through the doors.

* * *

I sat down on my own, tracing my fingers around the rim of my coffee cup. I'd ordered this and a chocolate muffin, but the truth was that I had no appetite whatsoever. My stomach was churning constantly and Alice was always on my mind. That and the fact that I, probably, no longer had a job, Edward and his father had been talking about me and, at some point, I had to open up to Alice and my family about my past.

Yup, not good.

I absently reached for my phone to take my mind off everything. I was beginning to feel glad that I hadn't hurled it out the window. Maybe I really should consider anger management classes... Alice had suggested that in the past.

I realised that I'd had several missed calls and messages off Yvonne but I deleted them all. I'd practically lost my job anyway and I didn't want to put up with her whiny voice.

I soon became bored and absently switched on my bluetooth, seeing if there were any interesting people around. I doubted there would be; the cafe was practically empty and there were likely to be regulations about using it around the hospital machinery anyway.

I sighed and decided to wander outside, when suddenly a name popped up on my screen, catching my interest.

_EdwardCullen83_

I raised my eyebrows. Surely he wasn't hanging around again... didn't he have pupils to teach or something? Or should I say pupils to _bore_...?

Still, I was, ashamedly, interested. I clicked on his name and sent him a quick message:

_Hi Edward, it's Bella._

As soon as I sent it I started to worry. _Why on earth had I done that?_ What if it was another Edward Cullen? I chewed on my lip, when suddenly my phone binged.

_Bella... hello. Where are you?_

I swallowed awkwardly. I was supposed to dislike him, yet I was bluetoothing him. My mind must be seriously messed up.

_At the hospital. Alice is having her operation. You?_

There was a long pause before he eventually replied.

_I'm in my car at the hospital car park. I came in to see my father._

I frowned to myself; he's certainly here often enough. Practically all the time when I'm here... must be a coincidence.

_Again? Is there a problem?_

I hit send and within a few seconds there was a reply.

_We've got a lot of... issues to discuss at the moment. _

I nodded slowly to myself, sitting on the wall. I took a quick look around the car park and asked: _Which car are you?_

He soon said: _Silver Volvo._

I sighed; the carpark was full of silver cars. It was at that moment, however, that I saw somebody step out of a car and wave at me. I squinted and realised that it was him. I grinned, for some reason, and wondered exactly why I was waving back.

_Found you, _I said.

_I'll come over now, _he replied.

After he reached me, I frowned at the surrealism of the situation. It was strange but I was gradually... _warming_ to Edward; he seemed... alright. His company was fairly interesting, to say the least.

"Hi," he smiled once he'd climbed over the wall, nearly losing his balance in the process.

"Hello," I replied. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Yeah... I-"

"Was seeing Dr Cullen, yeah I guessed."

He nodded, staring at the floor. "How's your f-friend?"

My heart plummeted at the mention. "She's having the operation now." I glanced at my watch. "I'd better go back in really. Sorry... this was... brief."

He looked a little disappointed, but smiled slightly. "Well, can I give you my n-number?"

My eyes widened and he backtracked quickly. "Um... y'know... I, er... yeah."

I smiled at his stuttering. "Sure." What harm could it really do?

He laughed nervously and retrieved some paper and a pen from his pocket (of course, _everyone _carries those around...) and quickly scribbled down his number. I smiled as he handed it to me and once again frowned at the strangeness of the situation. Maybe we could become good friends. Who knows.

"Thanks..." I said, glancing at the paper. _His handwriting was nice... _I blinked, realising that he was still there. "I'll, um, speak to you soon."

I began to turn away when he suddenly asked, "Bella, c-can I just ask why your Bluetooth name is 'Bella Tennant?'"

My cheeks flushed. _Argh... He couldn't know the full scale of my David Tennant obsession..._

"Um... well, a girl can dream," I shrugged.

I could have sworn that, as I walked away, I heard him laugh.


	8. Chapter Eight

**That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Eight_

I awoke the following morning, frowning to myself. I'd just had the strangest dream and couldn't shake it from my thoughts. It was so vivid and... well, to put it simply, it involved Edward. That was what made it odd. And a little worrying.

I turned towards Alice, who was now bandaged up heavily and sleeping quietly. The operation had gone very smoothly according to the doctors, and in a few days they were going to perform some more tests to see whether any of the cancer had spread any further. I think that was what we were all dreading the most, but I didn't need to think about that right now.

I saw that Jasper was awake and smiled at him. He seemed a lot brighter today.

"She looks better, doesn't she?"

I chewed my lip. "Yeah. I guess so."

It was at this moment that Alice stirred and blinked a few times. She looked around in confusion before setting her eyes on me. She frowned heavily and then peeked over at Jasper.

"Um... w-who is she?"

My body went cold and I struggled to compose myself. "It's me, Bella," I whispered. There was no response, so I prompted her further. "Your best friend..."

She looked at me just like I was a stranger. "Why are you here?"

I glanced at Jasper in desperation; the helpless look was reflected right back at me.

"You remember Bella, don't you, Alice?" he said calmly. "You've known her for years... Bella Swan?"

She shook her head slowly. "She's... I, I don't know her!"

I placed my hand over my mouth and stared at the floor. I heard the door opening but didn't look up; I was too shocked. It felt like I'd been winded, like the past few months had been worth nothing and were slowly erasing away before my eyes.

"I see you've woken up."

The voice belonged to Dr Cullen and I could imagine him smiling warmly at Alice. I couldn't meet his face, though. "How are you feeling?"

Alice didn't respond, so Jasper asked, "Is memory loss normal? Alice can't remember Bella."

I could feel their gazes on my face when Dr Cullen answered. "That does usually happen; there's no need to worry. You'll find that your memory will soon come back as the time passes."

I didn't say anything; I'd only be truly happy when Alice recognised me.

"I don't want _her_ in here," Alice said, and her voice was cold. I glanced up at her and my throat turned raw; she was addressing me like I was an imposter of some sort, saying my name with disgust.

"I don't know who she is, Jasper! Please, make her l-leave!"

I saw Dr Cullen looking incredibly uncomfortable and he swiftly left the room. I'd probably be following him any moment now.

"Alice," I breathed, and my voice was barely audible. "You must know me..."

"I don't!" she snapped. "Please... please just _go_!"

I looked at Jasper and he shook his head sympathetically. "Maybe it's best... come back later. She might remember then."

I took a lingering look at Alice before standing up and heading towards the door. When I made it outside, I sat down on the wall and cried until my body ached.

* * *

I arrived home twenty minutes later and sat down on the sofa with my knees pulled up to my chest. It was eerily silent and I honestly didn't know what to do with myself. It felt wrong being here without Alice, like the place was missing something.

I twisted my phone around in my hands, alarmed by the urge of who I suddenly wanted to call. I sighed and rummaged around for the paper in my pocket, before typing it into my mobile and quickly ringing the number.

It rang three times before Edward answered. "H-Hello?"

"Hi," I said quietly. "It's Bella." My voice cracked and I hoped that he hadn't noticed.

"Is something wrong?" he asked and I winced. Maybe it was obvious, then.

"Um... yes. Yes there is. I was actually wondering if you could come over..." I bit my lip awkwardly. "I just really, _really _need someone to talk to, selfish as that sounds."

There was a long pause before he answered. "Alright, Bella. Where do you live?"

After quickly giving him my address he said, "Okay, I'll be right over."

"Thanks," I mumbled, before snapping my phone shut and wondering what the hell I had just done.

As I waited for him to arrive, I sat back against the sofa and thought back to the dream I'd had of him last night...

_I was in the hospital waiting room in the middle of the night, when suddenly Edward appeared by my side, drenched from the rain outside. His hair stuck to his face and the water dripped off his skin. He held out a hand, which I automatically and unthinkingly took, and he led me into the cafe; it was shut and eerily empty. _

_He closed the doors behind us and all I could hear was the steady sound of his breathing. He looked at me in an oddly intense way through his glasses and murmured, "Take a seat, Bella."_

_I swallowed and did so, watching as he sat down beside me. His coat looked completely saturated with water and I watched him slowly unbuttoning it and hanging it over the seat. Underneath he wore a dark cardigan with a blue shirt and I dragged my eyes up to meet his gaze._

_"Why are we here?" I whispered quietly, feeling something prickling all around us. Tension._

_He smiled. "I wanted to do something and couldn't wait any longer."_

_Unlike it was normally, his voice was commanding and it sent shivers through my body._

_"And what's that?" I managed to reply._

_He leaned over towards me and I felt his warm breath on my face. _

_"This."_

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud banging on the door and I blinked several times, standing up. The dream had been really strange; I'd actually been _attracted_ to Edward...

That couldn't be right. No, not so soon after David. I shuddered and pulled myself together, before opening the door and seeing Edward there.

His eyebrows were pulled together a little, making him seem a little troubled and confused. But, apart from that, he looked the same as usual, and I stepped aside to let him in. He smiled shyly before walking past me and standing on the spot.

"Nice p-place," he complimented and I muttered my thanks.

"Take a seat if you like. Do you want a drink?"

"Um, I'll just have a water please."

After quickly filling the glass, I walked over and handed it to him, then took a seat on the opposite sofa. Had it really been such a great idea to want to pour out all my problems to him? It was a bit late to regret it now, though.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I realised that he was wearing the same coat as in my dream. Argh, the buttons... _I shouldn't be thinking like this!_

"So, what's the problem, Bella?" he asked, setting his empty glass down on the table. I met his eyes and took in a deep breath.

"It's Alice," I replied quietly. "She... she can't remember me."

I heard him exhale. "Isn't that n-normal after a big operation? She'll probably remember you later."

I didn't feel comfortable with how close to tears I felt. It really wouldn't be a good idea to cry around him. "I know but... it's all been too much. I don't know if I can c-cope."

To my surprise, he stood up to sit by my side. I sniffed and rubbed at my eyes.

"Bella, I'm sure you'll b-both get through this," he soothed. "It must all be a little overwhelming at the m-moment."

I turned to face him. "It is."

He nodded in understanding. "Well you can always talk to me." He passed me a tissue. "It really will make you feel b-better."

I _smiled_ weakly at his kindness. "Thank you. That means a lot."

He looked at me for a long time and I was alarmed at how tempted I was to suddenly tell him about everything else. I just _had_ to tell somebody... maybe he was the right person. It was all bottling up inside me and any moment now I would burst under the strain.

"There's also something else I'm worried about," I found myself saying and he waited patiently. "J-Just over a year ago, I got married." His expression shifted and I watched him carefully.

"His name was D-David and he was a wonderful, _brilliant_ man." I smiled at the memory of his face. "But..." I paused at the sudden pain. "But he was m-murdered when we were on our honeymoon."

I saw Edward tense in my peripheral vision but kept my gaze on my lap. My hands were twisting together as I tried to keep myself together. "There w-was a robber who stabbed him... and they n-never caught him."

I hadn't realised I'd started crying, so I viciously wiped away my tears. Speaking all this aloud really did make it seem so final and it just made me want to cry even more.

He really_ was_ gone.

I suddenly felt Edward's arm around my shoulder and gratefully cuddled up against him. I didn't care that it felt a little awkward, it was just nice relishing in the warmth that his hug gave me.

His shirt was soft to lean against and I inhaled it's pleasant just-washed scent. He relaxed a little and I could feel his breath on the top of my hair. It was all very... nice.

I eventually stopped sniffing and sat back up, wiping at my face.

"S-sorry about all that," I said. "You've come here voluntarily and all I've done is moan."

He shook his head. "Don't apologise. I n-never realised you had such a... uh, troubled past."

I didn't reply to that and saw him lean forward towards me.

"I don't know if my father told you this but I had a serious car accident a few years ago," he began.

"Yeah, he did tell me."

"I was in my car when a motorcyclist collided with me," he explained. "I lost control and c-crashed against a tree, crushing my arm. I nearly lost it in the end. Luckily, the doctors managed to save me."

I listened with interest as he told me about his hospital experience.

"I had a complete personality change during my time at the hospital, it was really w-worrying," he continued. "My sight g-gradually went, hence the glasses." He pointed and I admired his lovely green eyes. I'd never really appreciated them before. "I became interested in completely different things, some of which _you_ don't see as a good thing." To my surprise, he grinned. "I haven't forgotten the textbook incident."

I blushed. "Yeah... sorry about that."

He laughed. "It was quite funny, really. Almost like you were trying to dispose of a dead body."

I snorted like a moron and we were silent for a while. Edward sipped tentatively at his water.

"I'm glad we t-talked today," he said after a while. "I really do hope you're feeling better."

I crumpled up the tissue I'd been destroying in my hands and aimed it at the bin. "I do. Thank you, Edward." I threw it and it landed limply on the floor, a few inches away from its destination.

"Your aim hasn't improved, though," he joked and I nudged him playfully.

Where was the other Ednerd? It was like he was a completely different person...

And I actually liked him.

I enjoyed his company now; he wasn't an irritating nerd, he was somebody who I could confide in.

It's weird how things had changed.

I was surprised to see him standing up. "Um, well, I've got to get back to w-work."

I nodded. "I'm glad _you've _still got a job."

He frowned. "Have you, uh, given your's up?"

I rubbed my forehead awkwardly. "I'm not sure. I sort of... snapped at my boss. And wanted to murder her."

He chuckled. "We all have days when we want to do that."

I sighed. "I think it was the right thing to do, though. Your father clearly didn't approve."

"Do you really care about what he thinks?"

I thought to myself before answering. "Yeah, I think I do. It makes it all seem real."

He nodded for a moment and then smiled. "Well if you do quit then I'm v-very pleased for you. It's a bold m-move."

I didn't know why that fact made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but it did.

He headed towards the door. "I hope your friend recovers speedily. You can always c-call me if you need someone to talk to."

I was staggered by the overwhelming urge to hug him.

So I did.

"Thank you, Edward," I said, and he eventually put his arms around me, hugging me back. It felt nice being buried against his chest... almost like I was protected again. His hands rubbed my back in a soothing circle and I closed my eyes, savouring the feeling. We eventually pulled away and I smiled awkwardly.

"See you again, sometime," he said and I nodded, holding open the door. I watched him make his way down the stairs, luckily without tripping, and finally closed the door when he was out of sight.

Then, I felt guilty.

I thought of David. What would he think of me? Spending time with another man so soon after his death...

I frowned to myself. It wasn't like I was doing anything wrong with Edward. Nothing had happened. We were _friends._

I rolled my eyes again at my selfishness. I had a friend in hospital to see...

That is if she actually remembered who I was.


	9. Chapter 9

**So this chapter would have been out sooner but, after I'd more or less finished, the internet decided to crash... The moral of the story is save your work! I was raging for most of the evening afterwards! But still, better late than never...**

**

* * *

****That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Nine_

The following morning, I woke up determined to go back to the hospital and make my best friend remember me again.

It seemed easy in theory but, as I made my way there by foot, clutching a photo album in my hands, I soon began to have seconds thoughts. Just thinking of the possibility that Alice might_ still_ not know who I was made me feel crippled with pain, and the pictures in my book might just be that. Pictures. No longer memories.

I continued staggering forwards, telling myself that I was doing the right thing. Just keep walking...

The hospital came into my view way too quickly and I somehow kept myself moving in its general direction. I made my way through to the ward and stopped just outside the door. I could see Alice and Jasper talking inside, and my instincts told me that it would be wrong to storm in and interrupt them.

Naturally, I went against this. I took a deep breath and knocked. I slowly peeked my head through the door and waited with my breath held.

"Bella!" Alice screeched. "Where the_ hell_ have you been?"

All of my worries melted away and I cried out with pure happiness.

"Alice!" I sobbed. "You remember me!"

I threw my arms around her and she gasped in surprise. "What do you mean? I don't remember not remembering you!"

Jasper laughed. "That's enough to confuse anybody."

We pulled away and smiled at each other. "How are you feeling today?" I asked.

"I'm... good." She bit her lip. "The doctors are getting the results back to me today. I'm... I'm a bit scared about that."

"We all are," Jasper sighed as I took my place by Alice.

I quickly decided to change the subject to avoid any awkwardness. "So, have you had any more thoughts about your wedding?"

Alice's face immediately brightened. "Oh gosh, yes, Bella! Just before you arrived, actually. We talked a bit about it all..." She glanced at Jasper. "We want to get married as soon as possible, really."

"Mr and Mrs Hale," I smiled.

Alice made a strange squealing noise and I grinned to myself. After she eventually calmed down, she turned very serious.

"Actually Bella, we were going to ask you something..." she paused, leaving me in suspense. "We were wondering whether you'd like to be my bridesmaid?"

I glanced at my hands to try and overthrow the sudden burst of emotion I felt. I would look like a complete coward crying in front of Alice, considering what she'd been through.

But still. A bridesmaid. What an honour... She must really think a lot of me.

"I... I don't know what to say," I murmured, reaching for a glass of water to soothe the sudden rawness in my throat.

"This is a lot like Alice's reaction when I proposed," Jasper joked. "I'll repeat myself; a yes would be helpful."

I grinned. "Well I-I'd love to."

We all smiled at eachother and I quickly backtracked through the conversation to stop myself from crying. "Hang on, you said as soon as possible... when do you mean?"

"We were thinking as soon as Alice gets out of hospital," Jasper told me, and my eyes widened a little. He noticed my reaction and said, "It's soon, I know, but why waste the time?"

I nodded. That was reasonable, after all that had happened.

"But I'd need to rush to find a best man," he pondered. "Maybe I could ask Emmett."

I nearly dropped my glass.

"What about your brother?" Alice chipped in, and my heart rate slowed a fraction. "He should be your first choice."

Jasper nodded in thought. "Yeah, perhaps I'd better phone him later."

"Yes," I said, a bit too quickly. Luckily, they didn't seem suspicious. "That sounds like a great idea."

We talked for a while then, mostly about the wedding, when suddenly Alice's eyes travelled to the photo album in my hand. "What's that?" she asked, leaning towards me.

"Oh, um, it's just an old album I brought, just in case you had still forgotten me." I shrugged. "Looks like I won't be needing it now, though," I added with a laugh.

"Can I still have a look?"

My eyes widened wearily. "Uh, s-sure... if you like."

I handed her the book and she delicately opened the first page, showing a picture of us together at a Christmas party. Alice was wearing some reindeer antlers that were_ way_ too big for her tiny head, and I was stood next to her, clutching a bottle of wine in my hand.

Fantastic. What a positive image.

"I don't know how that got in there," I grumbled. "I look like a flaming alcoholic."

They both laughed and Alice quickly turned the page. It showed the two of us on the sofa at home, equipped with even more drink. I placed my head in my hands.

"I'm noticing a recurring theme here, Bella," Jasper teased and I narrowed my eyes at him in mock anger. He just chuckled and encouraged Alice to turn the page. It was at this moment, however, that Dr Cullen knocked and entered the room, looking horribly sombre. He settled down at the edge of Alice's bed and consulted his clipboard.

"Good morning," he said pleasantly, and I tried to ignore the stress in his expression. Even his eyes looked pained.

I knew the outcome before he even confirmed it. He didn't waste any time telling us, though. He was being kind really.

"I'm very sorry to tell you that the cancer has spread to another part of your body," he said to Alice, and I felt my heart shatter for her. "You're going to require another operation, followed by some chemotherapy to eradicate any remaining cancerous cells." He paused, meeting each of our eyes. "I really am so sorry, but the survival rate is incredibly high these days. I'm optimistic for you."

I couldn't even look at Alice. Her face would probably make me cry.

He hovered on the spot for a while, before murmuring, "I'll come in to see you sometime later in the day to give you some more details." After no one said anything, he walked towards the door and disappeared down the corridor.

"You'll be fine, darling," Jasper said suddenly, breaking me out of my haze. I glanced at Alice, who was just staring ahead in disbelief. I knew how she felt.

This was one of those things that you didn't expect to happen to you yet, when it did, it completely destroyed your world.

"Alice," I whispered, surprised by my ability to actually speak. "It'll be OK. I k-know it will."

Her shoulders began shaking and I knew then that she needed some time alone with Jasper.

"I'll give you a few moments," I muttered, heading dazedly towards the door.

What had she ever done to deserve this?

***

Later that day, I decided to head into Dr Cullen's office to gain some more reassurance. Yes, it was a little selfish of me, but I couldn't stand not knowing. I felt like he was hiding something.

I quickly wiped my eyes and hesitantly knocked on his door. After what sounded like a commotion inside, Dr Cullen appeared at the door, smiling at me like he usually did.

"Miss Swan, what can I do for you?"

My gaze travelled to the inside of his office and my eyes widened at the sight of Edward in the corner. He saw me looking and I smiled back shyly, chewing awkwardly on my lip.

"Oh, don't mind Edward," Dr Cullen said, noticing my gaze. "He just... needed to talk to me about something."

They were always talking. All the time. Deep down it made me miss the closeness that I could have with my own parents.

"Y-yeah," Edward added. "I'm, er, I'd best b-be off."

With that, he brushed past me and left.

"It's nothing that you've done," Dr Cullen said, letting me inside and gesturing towards a seat. "He just has a few issues that need resolving."

I shouldn't have felt curious.

"And I really am sorry about your friend," he added. "I can tell that you're worried but, like I said, I'm-"

"Optimistic about her chances of survival," I finished half-heartedly. He looked at me wearily and I just sighed.

"I want to know what's really going on," I said. "I feel like we don't know everything."

He narrowed his eyes quizzically before saying, "I've told you all that I know. I realise it's a frightening time but the hospital is more than prepared for what's to come."

I nodded slowly.

"Really, Miss Swan, you have to trust me."

I sighed heavily. "I'm sorry... I guess I was just worried."

He placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's completely normal. If there are any developments or anything that you need to know, I'll inform both Alice and yourself immediately."

"OK. Thank you, you've really been helpful."

He gave me a wonderful smile. "You're welcome."

I headed towards the door, feeling a little disheartened, when his voice made me jump.

"Edward really likes you."

I nearly stumbled over my feet. It would be an understatement to say that I was alarmed at his comment.

I swirled around on my feet, opening and closing my mouth like a goldfish.

"I-I like him too," I managed. "He's a great friend."

My answer sounded more like a question.

Dr Cullen continued to look at me steadily. "What I was trying to say is..." He ran his fingers through his hair in thought. "Edward's never really had the confidence to get close to anybody. He's shy. Painfully so."

I said nothing, just looked at him.

"I'm just worried for him," he concluded, now looking thoroughly awkward.

"Um... well, we're just friends," I mumbled. "I'm not gonna hurt him. I'm not like that."

He blinked a few times before nodding slowly to himself. "I'm sorry... I just get very over-protective. After the accident..."

He trailed off and I smiled knowingly. "I understand. And I... I value Edward as a friend. He's helped me a lot."

"That's good. I'm glad to hear it."

He gave me a meaningful look and I turned towards the door. "Anyway, thanks again, Dr Cullen."

"Please, call me Carlisle," he answered.

I smiled once more, before leaving.

***

Later that evening, Alice had already been scheduled for her operation and, after she was wheeled off down to the theatre, I took the opportunity to stand outside for a while, taking in some fresh air.

It was a cold night, and the wind whipped violently around my face. I wandered off down towards the back of the car park and stared up at the sky, fascinated by how many stars began appearing before my eyes. I took a long look at the moon and took in a deep breath.

As my gaze returned to earth, I became alarmed when, all of a sudden, a shadow in the distance caught my eye. I tried to remain calm and slowly backed away towards the building, but the shadow caught up with me quickly and it was soon revealed to be a person under the light from a nearby street lamp.

Emmett.

Fear prickled through my skin and my heart began thumping wildly. This really wasn't good.

"Bella!" he grinned. "How nice to see you again."

I was incapable of making a single sound. My muscles were locked and I felt frozen to the spot.

"We didn't quite finish off last time, did we?" he continued, hovering around me like a bad smell. My teeth chattered together uncontrollably and I was shivering in horrified anticipation.

"Luckily Jasper called me, asking to be his best man. His brother couldn't make it." He slurred his words a little, and I realised that he was drunk again. He was just disgusting.

"P-Please leave," I managed to whisper and this seemed to fuel his intentions even more.

"No."

He began to back me up against a wall and I had a horrible fear of what was going to happen. My limbs tingled as I prepared to defend myself. His arms were tightening around me again and my body was turning slowly numb.

"Bella?"

Another voice called from the distance and, as soon as I recognised it, a strange sense of safety washed through me. It was Edward.

"Bella, where-"

His voice was cut off as he met my gaze and saw what was happening. He frowned at Emmett and I saw a flicker of anger flash in his eyes.

"What are you d-doing?" he asked, storming towards Emmett. I panicked for him; he was half Emmett's size...

Emmett snorted. "What's it to you, _freak_?"

I winced as his grip tightened.

"Get off h-her," Edward stammered, trying to sound tough, but his voice quivered.

Emmett just laughed. "Are you gonna make me?"

To my utter surprise, Edward suddenly launched himself at Emmett, and it was a pitiful sight. To Emmett, Edward was just like a fly, and he was swatted away and pushed backwards, causing him to land heavily with a sickening thud against the wall. His head smacked on the corner of the bricks and I let out a horrified wail as Edward placed a hand over his injury. He brought it to his face and was met with blood stained fingers.

Oh God, please let him be OK. Please, _please_.

I watched as he practically gagged and suddenly slumped forwards, closing his eyes. His hand fell to the floor and I stared at him in horror.

"Edward?"

Emmett had, for some cowardly reason, changed his mind and ran off into the distance, so I quickly staggered to Edward's side, trying in vain to support his sagging body.

"Edward?" I shivered. "Edward? Can you hear me?"

There was no response and I chewed on my lip in despair. I'd have to carry him into the hospital or something... I couldn't just leave him out here.

The entrance was just across the car park, so I carefully heaved Edward upright, trying to ignore his floppy head. I cringed as his bloody hand wiped along my top, leaving a streak of scarlet in its wake.

I hauled him towards the hospital, hoping that someone was nearby to help us. Hoping and praying.

To my complete joy, as we made it through the entrance, Dr Cullen happened to be walking by in the corridor. He paused and frowned at me, then, noticing his son in my hands, rushed over with worry etched on his already stressed face.

"What happened?" he asked frantically, inspecting Edward's head and tilting it to meet his gaze.

"I-I was attacked," I spluttered shakily. "He tried to help m-me but he fell and hit his h-head... p-please tell me he's gonna be OK. Please!"

He quickly called for a stretcher and I placed my hand to my mouth. Tears were falling down my cheeks in the realisation that this was my fault. Edward wouldn't have had to help me if _I_ wasn't being attacked.

What was it with me bringing danger to everyone who came near me?

I sniffed in a sudden desperation as Edward was wheeled away. My thoughts turned to Alice; how was she doing? I wasn't even there for her...

"Come with us, Bella," Dr Cullen called back, and I quickly followed him, horribly disturbed by the fact that two people close to me were now in the hospital.

My worries about looking like an alcoholic seemed a long way away.

* * *

**Oh no! Well I'd love to hear any feedback and there's a button below that you can easily click to do so!**


	10. Chapter 10

**That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Ten_

"What's happening?" There was no reply. "Where are you taking him?_ Carlisle_?"

I was practically sprinting to keep up with Dr Cullen as he hurriedly pushed Edward along the corridor. People were staring at us as we passed by, full of curious looks, most of them being plain nosey, but I didn't care. All that mattered now was that Edward was OK. I couldn't _bear_ thinking about anything serious happening to him...

"We need to scan his head, to check for any injuries," he told me in a strained voice. "Then I'll have to treat him and see if there's anything wrong."

"A scan?" I murmured, feeling a familiar sense of fear. "That sounds serious..."

"It all depends," he answered, hastily turning a corner. "I think it's best that you stay out here. I'll inform you of any news."

He rushed ahead and disappeared, causing me to come to a sudden standstill. Before I could give myself time to think, I turned on my heel and ran in the opposite direction. I had to see how Alice was doing now.

God. This really was _awful_.

***

"Bella?"

Jasper looked up as I arrived and he promptly frowned at me, probably because I was panting and completely out of breath. I slumped down on a seat beside him and tried to calm myself.

"It's Edward," I sighed. "He-"

I trailed off at Jasper's confused expression. Of course, he didn't really know about Edward.

"Y'know the guy who you've seen hanging around here?" He nodded slowly. "He's my... friend. And he's had an accident."

He blinked in surprise. "Oh, so he's not some crazy stalker then?"

I raised my eyebrows at his comment and he quickly apologised. "Sorry. What happened to him?"

I bit my lip, deciding to tell him the truth. "It was Emmett. He attacked me before and did it again today... Edward came to help me but he was pushed back and he hit his head against a wall." I took a deep breath. "Emmett ran off and-"

Jasper interrupted me. "Wait, was the first time this happened when I saw you two outside?"

I nodded wordlessly and he placed his head in his hands.

"Bella, why didn't you tell me before? I could have done something."

I stared at the sparkling clean hospital floor, feeling his eyes on me. "You already had enough on your plate..." I shrugged. "My problem seemed incredibly insignificant compared to Alice's."

He sighed heavily. "I hate to admit it but Emmett's been like this before. He's always been a bit... full on. I thought of it in a jokey way but now..."

We were silent for a moment before he said, "You'd better tell the police."

My eyes widened. "But that's gonna make it all worse!"

"You can't let him get away with it," he answered firmly, locking eye contact with me. "He's dangerous and deserves to be punished."

"But they probably won't believe me," I countered weakly.

"Bella, this could happen again but with somebody else. You can't let that happen." He paused for a moment. "Think of this Edward... if you don't tell the police, his efforts are practically going to waste."

His words really hit home and I nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll do it."

He smiled and rubbed my arm. "I'm sure they'll offer you some protection, there's nothing to be afraid of. And besides," he squared his shoulders. "If he tries it again, he'll have me to answer to."

"No, Jasper." My skin prickled. "I appreciate what you're saying but I don't want you getting hurt, too. Alice needs you."

Before he could answer, I walked away, holding my phone in my hands. I quickly dialled the three numbers and waited anxiously as it rang.

***

The time was passing by in painful and almost unendurable chunks. Sometimes, Jasper and I would just sit there waiting for what felt like hours and, everytime a doctor emerged, we both sprang up, only to be disappointed when they continued walking by, giving us a funny look.

On several occasions I searched for Dr Cullen, but he was no where to be seen. This fact wasn't really helping my already hammering heart.

"So, what did the police say?"

I knew Jasper was trying to make conversation in order to make the wait seem a lot less painful, and I admired him for that; he was being so brave despite everything that was happening.

"They just said they're gonna look into it," I replied half heartedly. I had the horrible feeling that it wasn't going to come to anything and that I'd just wasted their time.

"Well they'd better do," Jasper grumbled, standing up and pacing up and down the corridor yet again. "I can't believe I considered making him my best man..."

I shuddered slightly. "Did you get hold of your brother after?"

"I got through to his answerphone," he sighed. "Doubt I'll get a reply now, though. He's probably too busy to get back to me."

He must have noticed my confused expression because he explained what he meant. "He works for some big company, and claims to be busy 24/7. I haven't actually seen him in months." He trailed off, staring at a random poster on the wall. "Always in meetings, blah blah blah."

I was struck by the almost pained look in his eyes and didn't think before I spoke. "You miss him?"

It wasn't really a question, but he nodded. "Yeah. I do."

I stared off into the distance. "I haven't been in contact with my parents for a long time."

He stopped pacing and slowly sat back down. "Why is that, if you don't mind me asking?"

I was incapable of answering for a long time and just muttered, "Various reasons."

He opened his mouth to speak but my attention was dragged to Dr Cullen, who was making his way towards me. I sprung up quickly and made my way towards him, slightly relieved by the calmer look on his face.

"Dr Cullen, how's Edward? Is he alright?" I asked in a rush.

"He's fine," he smiled. "No serious injuries, just a few stitches."

I closed my eyes and sighed heavily in relief. "Thank God."

"He's regained consciousness and was asking for you." He glanced momentarily at Jasper. "Are you alright to see him now?"

I peeked at Jasper also and he nodded, mouthing "Go on."

I gave him a quick smile and followed Dr Cullen.

***

"Are you sure he's alright to see me?" I asked hesitantly, hovering outside the door to Edward's room. Through the blinds I could see him lying down on the bed with a heavy bandage around his head. It made his glasses become slightly askew and the image was strangely adorable. My thoughts were interrupted as I glanced down and winced slightly at the blood stains on his shirt.

"He really wants to speak to you," he answered, opening the door.

Edward looked up as soon as we stepped in and quickly met my gaze. I gave him a weak smile and he immediately began talking. "Bella, are you alright?"

"Never mind about me," I grumbled, sitting by his side. Dr Cullen closed the door behind him and left us alone. "What about you? How's your head?"

He frowned to himself. "I'm fine... I don't know w-what all the fuss is about." He paused before adding, "I've certainly had worse."

"I was really worried," I sighed. "You didn't have to put yourself in danger because of me."

He shook his head almost dismissively. "Why was that p-piece of dirt doing that to you, anyway?"

I winced slightly; I was hoping he wouldn't bring this up. "He's done it before... don't worry, I've contacted the police."

"Too right." He shifted to sit up a bit more and swayed a little. My hand automatically flew to his shoulder to try and steady him. "Are you alright? Do you feel OK?"

He smiled. "Don't worry about me, Bella. I'm f-fine."

I wasn't convinced but didn't say anything more. "How come you were out there anyway?"

He shrugged. "I just wanted some fresh air. I couldn't believe what I was s-seeing... I had this horrible fear in the pit of my stomach that it was you and then when I saw what he was doing..." he trailed off and I swear I saw hatred briefly flicker in his eyes. As I looked closely, I saw that his glasses seemed a bit damaged too; there was a small crack in one of the lenses.

"Let's just forget about it, I think it's for the best," I sighed. "But I really do want to say thank you... I don't know what would have happened if you didn't turn up."

"Well one t-thing's for sure, I wouldn't be here right now," he chuckled darkly. "But s-seriously, it was no problem."

We both smiled at each other and it was at that moment that I realised how worried I'd truly been about him tonight. Just thinking that he was hurt had made me feel almost physically sick. We'd somehow developed a close relationship and I'd confided in him about something that I'd never talked to anybody else about. That made me feel like we had some sort of deep connection, and just thinking that he could've gone... well it made me literally shudder. He was a really close friend of mine now, and I realised that, properly appreciating it for the first time. I'd been stupid to judge him when we had first met. I had been stereotypical and pathetic... I actually cringed thinking back about it.

"Look, Edward-" I began at the same time as he said, "Bella-"

"You go first," I insisted.

"No, you," he replied, gesturing for me to continue.

"Um, this is gonna sound stupid and really random but... but I'm sorry for treating you so badly when we first met." I picked at my fingernails awkwardly. "I was being selfish and I apologise for snapping all the time. It wasn't very nice of me."

I looked up and saw him staring at me. It gave me chills, but in a nice way.

"It's fine, you d-don't need to apologise. I can imagine what I must have been like." I saw him quickly glance at the window and nod, and I turned around to see Dr Cullen waiting there. Looks like they wanted to talk. Again. I also noticed how Edward looked a little frustrated, like he'd been wanting to say something else but had been forced to be cut off.

"Well I'd better let your father in here," I said, standing up. "He knows best after all. And besides, I have a friend who needs looking after."

He immediately turned serious. "Oh, how is she?"

"Not so good. The cancer's spread to another part of her body and she needs chemotherapy." I sighed. "She's having an operation at the moment." I rubbed at my now pounding head in desperation.

"I'm so sorry to h-hear that," he said, and he seemed genuine. "It must be horrible for you all."

I didn't reply, just hovered by the door. "Well I'll come in and see you another time soon. Maybe you'd better get some rest."

He nodded and gave me another smile. "I'll look forward to it."

"Thanks again, Edward."

"No problem. I quite e-enjoyed being the hero for once."

I smiled to myself and opened the door. Dr Cullen greeted me and soon disappeared inside.

As I began making my way back down to Jasper, I was alarmed by how warm and fuzzy I'd felt during the conversation with Edward. It sounded horribly cheesy, but it was true. The time had passed in a blur when I was in there with him, and I became slightly lost.

Huh. How weird.

I was a little worried when I turned the corner to see Jasper not there, but immediately realised that the operation must be over. I rushed over to Alice's ward and saw them both there. Alice was unconscious, unsurprisingly, and Jasper was there as usual, being the wonderfully devoted partner and supporting her throughout.

Again it made me feel lonely.

Jasper soon met my gaze and gestured for me to join him. I closed the door quietly behind me and vaguely thought of how much time I'd spent in this hospital over the past few weeks. It felt like I was trapped in an episode of some medical drama.

"How is she?" I asked, whispering quietly. I didn't know why, it wasn't like Alice was asleep...

"The operation was successful," he told me, stroking Alice's hair. "They've said that the chemotherapy will begin in a few days and that Alice will be able to leave the hospital inbetween sessions if she likes."

I frowned. "What do you mean, 'if she likes?'"

He looked uncomfortable and shifted about a bit. "Well she... she might be too weak to go outside. But it's her decision."

I nodded numbly. "Have the doctors said anything?"

"Just how she's likely to survive, and all that," he mumbled. "I won't believe them until she has the complete all clear."

"I know," I sighed. "That's exactly how I feel."

"Have you heard anything more from the police?" he asked, obviously trying to change the subject again.

"No," I replied. "But Edward's fine. No major injuries."

He narrowed his eyes at me for some reason and I just had to question him. "Is there something wrong with that?"

He shook his head, "No, no, it's just... no. It's nothing."

I didn't really have the energy to ask him what he was going to say, so just kept quiet. It looked like we were going to play the waiting game once more.

"Why don't you get out of here?" Jasper suggested. I was going to take offense but he added, "Have a rest, I'm sure Alice won't mind."

"Anyone would think you're trying to get rid of me," I joked, but was tempted by the idea. Then again, an empty flat wasn't a nice one...

But then again, it would be the perfect opportunity to do something I'd actually debated doing for a few days now...

I nodded in sudden determination.

"Alright... if you don't mind. I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning."

He smiled, "I know. You're a really good friend to her."

His words caused me to flush a little with pride.

"I'll call you if anything is wrong," he said as I made my way to the door.

"OK. Bye Jasper."

On my way to the exit, I passed Edward's room and was determined not to peek in; he needed some rest after all. But, as I walked by, I found my eyes pulled in there and I met Edward's gaze through the blinds. I gave him a quick wave, which he returned, and headed back to where I was going.

I reached my car and started up the engine, feeling a little nervous in anticipation. I absently flicked on the radio, causing my ears to become filled with noise that I couldn't quite decipher. I pulled out of the carpark, shivering a little at what had happened earlier, and took the long way home, prolonging the inevitable. I was deliberately driving slowly, telling myself that I was in shock and that I had to be careful. That was my lame attempt at an excuse.

I should have the courage, but I found myself trying to go against my idea on several occasions.

When I arrived at the flat, I trudged up the stairs, fumbling for my key. After managing to open the door and kicking aside the pile of mail that had gathered on the floor, I reached for the phone and grabbed my contact book. It was sad for me to realise that, because it had been such a long time, I didn't know their number anymore. I used to know it off by heart in my memory, ready to use whenever I had a crisis.

I dialled the number with shaking hands and hovered over the dial button. With one last sigh, I pressed it down, mumbling to myself. "Well, here goes nothing."

The phone rang ominously in my ear and I glanced at the clock. It was a bit late, but I knew they'd both be home and still awake. I held my breath as someone eventually answered.

"Hello?"

I took a deep breath. Yes. I was most definitely doing the right thing. Her voice brought several memories flooding back to me and I suddenly felt very tearful. How could I have left it so long and hidden the truth from them? My throat tightened but, despite this, I somehow managed to speak.

"Hi Mom. It's B-Bella."

* * *

**So she's finally called her parents... I think she deserves a round of applause. (waits)**

**Thank you. I hope you enjoyed that. It was a fairly quick update but I've decided to write a few chapters in advance. Also, I was wondering if anyone is interested in beta-ing a Jasper/Bella story that I am going to release after this is finished... if so please PM me. Thanks!**

**Please review if you have the time...**


	11. Chapter 11

**Note: Hi, thank you for the lovely reviews! Just wanted to say that this chapter is a bit more emotional than usual and I'm a little bit worried about it... I really hope it's not too boring but it needed to be done. Also, a song that seems appropriate for this chapter is Nobody's Home by Avril Lavigne, if you've heard of it.**

**

* * *

****That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Eleven_

There was a very loud gasp of shock from Mom and I even heard her calling to Dad in disbelief. I could vaguely distinguish a few murmurs in the background and immediately imagined my Dad sitting there with his newspaper, filling in the crosswords with his glasses perched on the end of his nose.

"Bella, love! Why haven't you contacted us in so long? Gosh we've missed you so much! How are you? How are you coping? Goodness, I can't believe this."

She broke off and, to my surprise, I could already feel tears running slowly down my cheeks. It was such an incredible shock just hearing her voice. It was so soothing and familiar, bringing back many raw memories that I'd forced deep down below the surface.

I couldn't control myself; I automatically thought back to my childhood, running home from school and flinging myself straight into my Mom's arms. School was tough for me and, as soon as the bell rang for the end of the day, I practically sprinted out of the class to be greeted by her at the gates. I wanted nothing but to be in my parents' company all the time. They provided so much warmth and reassurance, and I always felt so happy coming back to them. School meant that I couldn't see them and so I detested it.

My mind quickly travelled to the summer time and playing cricket in the fields with Dad. He wasn't very good at it but still, he did try, helplessly hitting at the ball and nearly losing grip on the bat. I secretly prayed sometimes that he would do so, and that the bat would fly high up into the air, spinning in circles and landing with a thump on the ground.

I was weird like that.

I then thought back to Christmas time, my absolute favourite time of the year. I was, admittedly, a little selfish, constantly thanking God that I was an only child. It wasn't because of all the wonderful presents I used to receive, it was just because I received all the attention. It seems like I was a spoiled brat, but I just loved them focusing on me. It made me feel like I belonged after the harsh time I had at school.

It all went a little wrong during my teenage years. No, very wrong. Dad, having previously given up his police job after my birth to help Mom look after me, had decided to return to work, and he was only home for a few hours a day. Even during that little time, he was always exhausted and never had the energy to speak to me. On top of this, Mom seemed to be constantly stressed, and I never quite understood why.

I had to grow up at during that time of my life. It was hard and I hated it; I felt isolated and a_ lot_ of tears were shed. However, after a few months of depression, I realised it was something that I just couldn't avoid. I distanced myself from my parents bit by bit and gradually became an adult.

It seems that the distance went further than I could have ever imagined.

Once I'd met David during University and announced that we were getting married, it was like being a little child again. Mom fondled over me and Dad became all tearful over his little girl. They became involved in organising everything and I absorbed the attention. The wedding day itself was really wonderful but emotionally draining.

And that's not involving the horror of the honeymoon.

After that, I somehow managed to get home and shut myself away for months, hardly eating and wallowing in self pity. I emerged for his funeral, barely alive, but it was all a lie. I'd told my friends and family that he was hit by a car. The real truth seemed so horrific to admit, and the fact that his killer was still on the loose was enough to make me sick.

So I lied. It's become a bit of a habit.

And ever since, I've stayed away from them, like a coward. They call sometimes, but I hardly ever answer. It's been months since I saw my parents and heard their voices properly. This caused me a deep pain, and during this time I turned to prostitution, believing it was the solution to all of my problems. I couldn't have been more wrong. It didn't solve my worries, just made them worse.

I eventually found Alice, when I was out on a rare trip to the shops, and she brought back a little bit of humanity to my life. Of course I was lying to her, too, telling her that David was an ex-husband of mine. It makes me wince thinking of the web I've created. But at least it now seems to be getting untangled.

Lying to Alice wasn't as painful as keeping the reality from my parents, though. But now, it really does feel right to tell them the truth. I've really been selfish and cruel, but everything that's happened lately has made me realise just how much I need them and that I want to have them in my life again. No, I _need _them back in my life. I could lose anybody when I least expect it, and anything could happen. I should have made the most of everybody I knew. They're brilliant and wonderful, and helped me survive. They made me who I am...

As I came to this sudden realisation, I sobbed and crumbled in a landslide of realisation. I'd wasted valuable time with my parents, who were the people that meant the most to me.

I'd been so _stupid_.

I was their daughter, their flesh and blood, and they had the right to know what was going on in my life.

They deserved the truth.

"Mom," I eventually gasped, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. I was struggling to breathe normally and had to sit down to steady myself. It was hard to believe that all this was really happening... it was a little breathtaking.

My Mom, knowing me well, noticed my pain straight away. "Bella?" Her voice was soft and made me close my eyes, thinking of all my mistakes. "Bella, honey, what's wrong?"

"M-Mom I... I need to talk to you," I spluttered, wiping away at my eyes. I was weak and vulnerable, yet had never felt so safe. I had my parents now.

"Honey, you can tell me," she soothed, not asking any questions about my lack of contact. I admired her for that and took a deep breath, explaining everything, from what had happened to Alice, to the pain of how David really died.

By the end I could barely see because my eyes were so raw and teary. My throat had completely closed up and it ached, as though telling her the truth was like having acid poured into my mouth.

Yet, I did feel better. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and a little bit of the guilt I'd been experiencing had burned away.

Mom was stunned into a long silence and I heard her suck in a lot of air. "Bella, love." Her voice was so full of sympathy and love that it made fresh tears run down my cheeks. "Bella, why didn't you tell us sooner?"

She didn't raise her voice, but was completely calm, despite the things I'd told her. I sobbed a bit more, before answering, "I... I c-couldn't. I just... I couldn't."

She understood perfectly. "Bella, come over. You still know our address, don't you?" I nodded to myself. They were a few miles away from me, yet they had felt so far away from me during my time of hurt. Now, they felt closer. Within reach.

"Come over tonight," she continued. "I need to see my little girl."

Her words choked me up again and I whispered my thanks before hanging up the phone. I felt exhausted, yet quickly stumbled into my room and began packing a few things together. As I reached for my clothes, I felt a bewildering sense of warmth; I was going to see my parents. At that moment, everything felt like it could be OK.

That was only a brief feeling, though. I quickly thought back to Alice and Edward... Emmett and Jasper.

Things were getting really serious with Alice and I was just plain confused when it came to Edward.

I had problems, but I'd have to take them one step at a time.

After roughly packing a small suitcase, I rushed for the door and headed towards my car. Once I'd started the engine, I felt a tiny glimmer of hope. Maybe in a few months' time my life could be normal again. I could have an ordinary job, a loving partner, parents nearby and healthy friends.

Optimism washed over me as I left the car park. That would be my goal, something to work towards.

I even managed a smile as I stopped at the traffic lights.

***

It was a shock seeing the house once more for the first time. It hadn't changed at all, and I could even see the blinds flickering in the lounge window. I smiled to myself, thinking of Mom peeking nosily at the neighbours in the past.

I cut the engine and leaned against the steering wheel for a moment, taking in the sheer enormity of what was happening. Before I could think about anything else, however, light suddenly flooded around me as the front door opened and Mom and Dad rushed towards my car. I hastily undid my seatbelt and leapt out, launching myself into their arms.

There were tears. Plenty of them. I cried heavily as I inhaled their familiar, comforting scent, and felt their arms tightening around me. I felt safe once again, like I was finally where I belonged.

"I'm so s-sorry!" I sobbed, pulling away and wiping at my tears. Mom cupped my face with her hands, her tears also evident. My gaze turned to Dad, who was smiling warmly and looked a little watery-eyed.

I took that moment to take in their appearance. Mom hadn't changed much, but she had a few more lines on her forehead and around her eyes. I vaguely wondered if that was down to me. Dad's hair was greying a little at his sides, but he still had a youthful look about him.

"Bella, darling, you've been through so much," Dad sighed, resting his hand on my shoulder. "You couldn't have coped on your own... You shouldn't have."

I swallowed thickly, whispering, "I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say.

"Bella." Mom's hands moved to my hair, gently and lovingly stroking it. "Don't apologise."

"I... I should have t-told you," I murmured, blubbering like a baby.

"We understand why you didn't, love, and now we can help you through it," Mom answered, smiling gently at me. "Come on, let's get inside before we freeze to death." I stiffened a little at her words, but realised I was just being over-sensitive. Dad opened the boot of my car and retrieved my suitcase. "How would you like a nice cup of coffee?" Mom continued.

I smiled through my tears. It was just like the old times.

As we walked inside, I was surprised to see that they'd redecorated. It was still homely, though, with the radiators blasting welcoming heat through the air and the warm colours making the place seem even more wonderful.

Why on _earth_ had I left it so long?

"Take a seat, darling," Dad said, resting his hand on the small of my back. He led me into the lounge and I wasn't surprised to see a baseball match on the TV. I took a seat and sank tiredly into it. As Dad reached for the remote, I closed my eyes and relished in the comfort of the plumped pillows. This was like heaven.

Mom soon came in with a tray of mugs and biscuits, and she closed the curtains, settling down and glancing at me all the time. It looked like she was worried I'd break or something. She passed me a cup and I smiled my thanks at her. They were both on the edge of their seats and I could tell that they were feeling awkward, waiting for someone to say the first word.

"How are you feeling now, love?" Mom eventually asked, causing me to chew on my lip. It took me a while to form an answer. I decided to be honest.

"Not so good, really." Both of their faces fell. "I'm really worried about Alice."

"Is that your best friend?" Dad asked, and I nodded. He exhaled heavily, "It's such a shame about what's happened to her."

"Yeah," I sighed, rubbing at my eyes.

"It'll be nice to meet her one day," Mom pondered. "If she's special to you then she's special to us."

I smiled, briefly wondering whether they would ever meet Alice. I hoped so.

There was a momentary silence, before Mom leaned towards me with a serious expression. I knew what was coming and took a deep breath. "Bella... why didn't you tell us about David?"

Hearing his name made me wince a little. The only sound in the room was the gentle buzzing of the TV, for Dad had turned the sound down, leaving us in near silence. I closed my eyes and started.

"Back when it happened, I was in s-shock," I managed, my voice only a tiny whisper. My parents hung off my every word that I said and I was very aware of the tension around me. "I was there when he d-died... he died in my arms." I could feel the familiar ache filling me up and tried to fight against it. "I wanted to b-believe that it hadn't really happened and a car a-accident seemed less painful." I stopped, unable to speak for a few moments. The pain was overwhelming me; I'd shut it away for the past few months and now it was boiling over. "I'm s-sorry, I was s-so selfish. B-But I couldn't c-cope."

I broke down at that moment, crying heavily once more. I was enveloped in hugs and I couldn't stop myself constantly murmuring apologies.

"Bella, please stop saying that," Mom pleaded, pulling away. "It's not your fault! We understand."

Dad nodded. "You've been so strong."

I shook my head. "I've been a c-coward."

They each gripped a hand of mine. "You've been keeping all of this to yourself and now it's out in the open. That took a lot of courage," Dad said. "We're proud of you and are now going to help you through it."

I smiled through my tears, again feeling the optimism.

"Hey, how about you have an early night?" Mom suggested, taking the coffee gently from my hands. "You must be exhausted."

_And you need to see your friends in hospital tomorrow. _The unspoken thought hovered in the air and I nodded. "OK."

As I made my way up the stairs, Mom and Dad followed. We paused on the landing and they both smiled at me again.

"Thank you for doing this, Bella," Mom said, looking close to tears again. This almost triggered my own. "We've been so worried and now... it's just wonderful having our own daughter back."

I smiled weakly before murmuring, "Yeah. Goodnight. And... thank you."

"You're our daughter, Bella, and we'll always be here for you."

I'd never heard Dad speaking so emotionally and was overwhelmed once more. I quickly smiled once more before closing the bathroom door behind me and collapsing into tears again. I caught sight of myself in the mirror and had to do a double take. My face was pale and blotchy, completely covered in tear and mascara stains. I had circles under my eyes and it truly felt like I hadn't slept in a lifetime.

After brushing my teeth and sorting myself out, I emerged and made my way to the spare bedroom. I flicked on the light switch and smiled; the bed was made up and everything was still clean. Mom obviously still stuck to her old ways.

I closed the door behind me and dumped my suitcase on the floor. It didn't take me long to collapse onto the bed and close my eyes. My memories of the day were jumbled and blurry, and I felt incredibly drained, but amongst all that I was reasonably happy. Tomorrow I would wake up to see my parents. I had done the right thing and it actually made me happy.

I didn't even bother switching off the light. My eyelids were too heavy and, before shedding another tear or two, I fell slowly asleep.

***

I was staggered the next morning to wake up and trudge downstairs to see my favourite cereal waiting on the kitchen table. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry as I slumped down, grabbing a spoon and tucking in. I heard a commotion from somewhere in the house and Mom suddenly rushed into the room, smiling at me.

"Bella, how did you sleep, love?"

She reached down and hugged me as I replied, "Great thank you. It was lovely."

"That's good to hear." She took a seat beside me and poured herself some cereal. "What are you planning today?"

I swallowed my mouthful. "Well I was going to take a trip to the hospital, to see Alice and Ed-" I paused, realising I hadn't told her about him.

"And who?" she asked curiously.

"And Edward, he's... he's another friend of mine," I replied quickly, keeping my eyes on the table. I could feel Mom's gaze radiating off my skin and tried my hardest not to look up and give anything away. I didn't know why I was being so paranoid; Edward _was_ a friend after all.

"Well, if you're ready to," Mom said slowly. "Do you want me to come with you?"

I considered that for a moment and finally shook my head. "I think it's best if I go on my own. Alice will be recovering from her operation today, so maybe it's not such a good idea."

She nodded. "Maybe another time."

We were silent for a while, before Mom said, "You've changed a lot."

I looked up at her in genuine confusion. "How?"

"You seem to be a lot more serious than before," she said. "Before you were rather sarcastic all the time and now... well, you seem to be taking everything seriously."

"I've had to become stronger," I answered, shrugging off her comments. "I never really noticed."

"Well you're still yourself, that's obvious," she added. "It's just subtle..."

I mumbled a response and quickly finished my cereal. I didn't want to take what she was saying too seriously. Was this whole experience changing me? Standing up, I said, "Well I'd better be off. Sorry... I don't mean to leave in such a rush, I just-"

She cut me off. "Bella, your friends are in hospital, I completely understand. And the only thing that matters to me is that you'll be back here by the end of the day."

I smiled. "Of course I will be." I gave her a quick kiss. "Love you."

"Love you too," she replied as I made my way towards the door. "I hope it goes well."

I sighed, opening the car door. "Me too."

***

I arrived at the hospital, feeling trapped in a routine once again, and vaguely wondered whether the whole of yesterday had been a weird dream. I knew it hadn't, deep down, but it still felt strange thinking that I'd actually done what I had.

Before I went to see Alice, I quickly peeked in on Edward. He was asleep, to my disappointment, but that didn't stop me watching him for a while. He looked so peaceful and didn't have his glasses on for a change, which was odd. His hair was messy as though he had been tossing and turning, and I smiled at the way he murmured a few things in his sleep.

I was preparing to walk away before I heard something that made me stagger a little.

"Bella..."

I turned around, expecting to see him awake, but he was still fast asleep. I blinked a few times in disbelief, eventually convincing myself that I'd imagined it.

"Hello Bella."

I jumped at the sound of Dr Cullen's voice behind me and had to clutch my chest to calm myself down.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, looking at me in concern. I couldn't understand why I was being so darn jumpy.

"It's OK," I managed, eventually slowing my breathing. "How is he?"

"Edward's fine. He's going home later." He paused. "How is your friend today?"

"I wouldn't know, I'm just going in to see her," I answered.

He nodded. "She must be starting the chemotherapy soon."

I nodded grimly, being brought back to reality. "Yeah... I think she is."

"She'll be alright," he smiled. "I give you my word."

"That doesn't stop her being in pain," I replied.

"I'm sorry but that can't be helped," he said cooly. "Anyway, please wish her luck from me."

I muttered something and walked away slowly. I realised that another big thing was about to happen in my life, and that I needed to be by Alice's side during it. It was going to be tough seeing her suffering, but it would hopefully save her life.

Turning the corner, I took a deep breath and my heart nearly gave in as I saw Jasper busily pacing outside. He met my gaze and I rushed over, giving him a questioning look.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"I just needed a few moments to think," he answered simply. His eyes looked a million miles away and I wondered what he was thinking.

"Has she woken up yet?"

He shook his head, "Not yet."

"Well she needs us to be there when she does," I said, sounding tougher than I felt. I headed towards the door. "You ready?"

He took a deep breath and joined my side. The next few days were going to be hard for Alice but, if she had us two by her side, it should all be fairly bearable.

We both walked in and sat by her bedside once more.

* * *

**Argh. Well I hope you liked it... like I said, I felt it was necessary to learn about Bella's past, and you certainly have. Please don't have a go at me if you didn't like it... just be nice! I'd really like to know what you thought, anyway. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for the later update than usual, I had a bit of trouble with this chapter, but I promise regular updates from now on. Probably every Saturday. Enjoy...**

**

* * *

****That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Twelve_

_**One week later**_

_Hey Edward, how are you feeling? B._

As I gathered my things together to prepare for the day ahead, I decided to send Edward a quick text. We hadn't been in touch for over seven days, and I was beginning to feel a little worried. It was only natural, considering all I'd put him through.

I glanced at my watch and hurried my pace; I needed to be at the hospital in less than an hour because Alice was starting her chemotherapy today. She had psyched herself up for it during the week, but I knew she could never really be ready for something like this. I hadn't really wanted to, but I found myself looking up the treatment on the internet earlier this week, and it didn't really settle my worries. I knew it wasn't going to be pleasant, but it made everything seem worse.

Still, Jasper had kept himself busy by planning the wedding and they'd managed to book a date in the church for a month's time. I was alarmed at the closeness at first, but realised just how much they wanted to be husband and wife as soon as possible. The doctors had told us that Alice would probably be well enough for the service by then, considering she had breaks between chemotherapy sessions, so that settled my worries. Sort of.

Throughout the week I'd been sent away on various occasions to gather wedding brochures and samples of fabric, busily sharing them with Alice and picking dresses. Mom had helped plenty of times and it had been a nice getaway, but now things were turning serious again.

I jumped as my phone beeped in my pocket; I'd forgotten all about it during my heavy thinking.

_I'm fine thanks, Bella, how are you? And Alice? _

I smiled with the sudden thought of him and replied: _I'm good and Alice is OK. Starting chemo today though._

As I waited for a reply, I was surprised to hear the doorbell suddenly ringing. I poked my head up from the pile of clothes, wondering briefly whether I should really answer it. I had a weird prickling of fear but eventually stood up and headed towards the sound. The doorbell rang once more before I made it there and I quickly opened the door, feeling a little panicky.

My eyes soon widened as two police officers stood there before me. They were both male and were very muscular, with heavy, serious frowns across their faces, causing an immediate wave of intimidation to pass through me. Had I done something wrong in the past? Had my boss Yvonne pressed charges against me or something?

My blood ran cold. I knew it wasn't exactly legal to be a prostitute... had she informed them about me as a punishment? But I wasn't doing it anymore... I had made it very clear that I wanted to quit. The thought caused chills to run through my body; would she really go to such measures to get back at me?

I must have stood there gawping because one of the men waved his hand in front of my face.

"Sorry," I murmured, shaking my head. "H-Have I done something wrong?"

They didn't answer my question. "Are you Bella Swan?"

I nodded with a jerky movement. I must have looked horrendously guilty. They exchanged a quick glance before one asked, "May we come in?"

I couldn't refuse, so I shakily stepped out of the way and let them in, consciously aware of my rapidly thumping heart. So many things were running through my head that I couldn't quite make any sense of what was happening.

"Miss Swan, we recently received a call from you about an assault performed by a man whom you named as," he glanced at his notebook and a frown came across his face. "'Emmett.'"

I felt incredibly stupid at that moment; I didn't even know his freaking surname. What I did know now, however, was why they were here. Probably for me wasting police time or something along those lines. I couldn't help cringing to myself. I shouldn't have listened to Jasper and I should have just left it... it would have saved so much trouble.

"We're visiting to inform you that he has been arrested and is being held in a cell. That's why we're here," he paused, eyeing me carefully. "We may require you to give an interview on the attack which could lead to you testifying later on, if he is charged. The evidence is vital."

I swallowed in surprise. "T-Testifying in the court?"

They both nodded and I stared blankly ahead. "But…"

"We can understand that you must feel nervous about doing this, Miss Swan, but if you don't do so it's unlikely that your attacker will be charged." He paused, looking at me carefully. "And you need to know that you will be offered full protection, so there is nothing to worry about. But... the decision is yours, of course."

I moved my head slowly and mechanically. "Alright. I'll d-do it. I think. When should I come in?"

"As soon as possible, preferably," he answered and I swallowed. "How about later today?"

I shook my head. "I can't, sorry."

"Alright, how about tomorrow morning?"

"OK." I said quietly. "That should be alright."

"Are you sure, Miss Swan?"

I nodded. What choice did I really have?

"Well we'll see you sometime tomorrow morning," one said as they both stood up. "Thank you for your time."

"No, t-thank you," I replied shakily.

They both headed towards the door. "We'll send you some more information as the date grows closer. Thank you again for your time, Miss Swan."

I opened the door and they soon disappeared down the stairs, leaving me staring after them. I felt a mixture of fear and happiness; Emmett was probably getting punished, but I'd have to be there close to him to make sure it happened. That is if my interview even persuaded them in the first place.

Crumbs.

I was incredibly jumpy and nearly leapt off the ground when my phone beeped. It was Edward again.

_She'll be alright. Don't worry too much._

I scoffed darkly to myself. How was it possible_ not_ to worry?

***

"Right," I said, dumping my packed bags on the floor. "I've brought everything that you and I need and that means I'm not leaving you for a few days. Well, not permanently anyway," I added, thinking about my run-in with the police.

Alice frowned. "Why are you staying here?"

"Because you need me and I _want _to be here with you." I looked up at Jasper. "Although you've been doing a brilliant job."

He smiled. "Anything for my Alice."

"But I thought you were living with your parents at the moment..." Alice continued.

"They understand what's happening," I answered. "You really do need us both here."

She nodded in what I guessed was agreement. "And I want you here. I really do."

I smiled. "And besides, you need someone here to discuss dresses when-"

I trailed off, unable to quite finish my sentence.

"When I'm having my treatment?" Alice offered and I nodded minutely. "That sounds great, Bells."

"So, what did you bring?" Jasper quickly asked, jerking his chin towards my bags. "Did you pack the kitchen sink, too?"

I laughed. "Nope, just all the essentials... I don't want to be away from here for too long."

He nodded. "Did you bring some pillows?"

"I did, actually," I said, reaching inside and grabbing them. I chucked one towards Jasper. "I've had bad experiences sleeping here before and I'm now prepared."

He grinned, placing the pillow behind his back. "Thanks, Bella."

"Did you bring Homer, Bells?" Alice asked.

Before I could reply, a doctor knocked on the door and quickly came into the room.

"Good morning, Alice. We'll need to transfer you to a sterile room so that we can hook you up to all the equipment," he said and I winced; the way he described hooking her up made her sound like a piece of meat.

"Alright," Alice said, leaning on Jasper as she stood up. "Let's get this over with."

I had to admire her courage when we made our way down there. She knew what this experience was going to be like, yet she hadn't complained.

"Who is Homer?" Jasper asked and Alice giggled.

"He's my teddy bear."

"And you named him after Homer Simpson?" he persisted, looking amused.

"That's not the strangest thing she's done," I said, smiling along with them.

"Here we are," the doctor said, and we were led into a dull, white room, full of chairs and various pieces of medical machinery. They all looked daunting and horrible, but I continued smiling, following them into the room.

"If you just sit here, we'll get you sorted."

Alice did so and I noticed her bottom lip trembling slightly. Jasper must have seen too, because he gripped onto her hand, giving her another reassuring smile.

We took a seat each beside her and the doctor began preparing the treatment.

"Ready?" he asked.

Alice met both of our gazes and nodded. "Yes. I think so."

The doctor smiled. "Well, we'll be giving you an infusion of drugs, so just try to relax and think happy thoughts."

Alice winced as the needle went into her arm and the doctor checked the medication. "This will take about an hour and I'll be back then to take you off."

He left swiftly and Alice took a shaky breath. "Should I be feeling something?"

Jasper smiled but I could see in his eyes that he was feeling her pain too. "Let's talk about something else," he said. "So... are we going to have our own stag and hen nights before the wedding?"

I grinned to myself as Alice beamed. "Of course. Bella's already said yes to her invite."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "I have?"

"Yup," Alice said, shifting around in her seat. "It'll be just us two, I think."

"You don't want to let Bella near the alcohol," Jasper commented and I pouted at him playfully.

"I'm sure you're just as bad," I replied.

He nodded, smirking a little. I still really couldn't believe how we'd managed to form such a great friendship, considering what had happened before.

I peeked at Alice, trying not to notice how pale she was. I decided to swiftly change the subject. "I had a visit from the police today."

Both their eyes widened at the same moment and, if it were a different situation, I would have laughed at the comical effect.

"Is it to do with Emmett?" Alice asked, before adding, "Jasper told me about what happened..."

I nodded. "They've arrested him and I need to give an interview. If they decide to charge him, I may have to appear in court."

They both looked alarmed. "Are you going to do it?"

"I have to. I... I need to."

"Maybe you should ask someone to go there with you," Jasper said, and one name immediately sprung into my mind.

"Uh, yeah, maybe," I shrugged.

It was silent for a moment before Alice clutched at her head. "Argh, it feels like I'm having a migraine..."

"I think that's normal." My voice sounded so unsure and probably did nothing to reassure her.

"I feel sick," she whispered.

"Bella, get a bin or something," Jasper said quickly and I rushed off, reaching for the nearest suitable item. I found a bin and thrust it into Alice's face, where she promptly vomited. It was horrible to hear and she sobbed along with her retching.

"I hate this," she cried. "Make it stop... I feel awful."

"We can't, Alice," Jasper soothed. "It'll be over soon, I p-promise."

His words weren't true; the morning seemed to last forever.

***

I felt exhausted by the time that Alice was back in her normal bed, sleeping peacefully. The morning had been an ordeal but at least one of her treatments was over, and we all saw that as a positive thing. Well, 'all' being Jasper and myself.

I spent the afternoon in the hospital cafe, wanting to feel a bit normal for a while. I was pleasantly surprised to see Edward pop up from behind me as I was ordering a chocolate muffin.

"Edward!" I smiled, genuinely happy to see him. "How are you?"

"I'm great, thank you," he said, smiling back at me with an enthusiasm that matched my own. "Haven't seen you in a while... I guessed you'd be here and d-decided to pay a visit."

I payed for my food and we walked over to a table, chatting like old friends. "I know," I sighed. "I've just been a bit occupied."

We both sat down and I pulled my chair closer to him.

"How is Alice?" he asked carefully.

"Well she had her first treatment today and it was alright, I guess," I answered, picking away at the muffin. "She wasn't very well afterwards, though."

He met my gaze sympathetically. "I'm sorry to hear that. But she will get better, I'm sure."

I nodded absently.

"Has anything else happened this w-week?" he asked, taking a keen interest.

"Well I... I visited my parents."

His eyes widened underneath his glasses and I saw more of their unique emerald colour. "W-Wow, Bella, that's very brave of you."

"I told them everything. I... I do feel better now."

He smiled. "I'm sure you do. That's g-great to know."

I was surprised when his hand met mine on the table, but I didn't pull away. Instead, I let his fingers wrap around mine and I liked the warmth such a small gesture provided.

I couldn't quite understand why, despite the heat, I felt like shivering.

Our eyes met for a timeless moment and I was still dazed when we found ourselves staring. I wasn't really sure why I was doing it, I just couldn't seem to pull my eyes away. His eyes really were such a beautiful colour and it was a shame his large glasses spoiled the view.

Our little moment was interrupted by someone bursting through the cafe doors. I glanced up and saw that it was Jasper. He was looking around for someone and, when he met my eyes, he rushed over, looking a little panicked.

"Bella," he said breathlessly. "I need your help. It's Alice."

I stood up immediately. "What? What's wrong?"

"Just, please come..." he said, hurrying away.

I sighed, looking down at Edward. "I'm really sorry... I-"

"Don't worry," he said, cutting me off. "She's more important."

"Don't say that," I protested. "You're equally as important."

I didn't realise the enormity of what I'd said until afterwards.

"I'll see you soon," I said, rushing off. I heard him quietly say bye before I sprinted out the doors. I raced along the corridor and towards Alice's ward, soon hearing familiar hysterical cries echoing towards me. My heart raced as I reached the door, fumbling with the doorknob and eventually managing to open it, despite my shaking hands.

I should have known something like this was going to happen, yet it still managed to take my breath away when I caught sight of her.

Alice was sat upright in her bed, sobbing manically and clutching a clump of hair in her hands. She met my eyes with her body trembling frantically.

"Bella," she cried. "Bella, my _hair_!"

* * *

**So like I said before, I had trouble with this chapter and occupied myself writing a new story... which will be out soon (look on my profile if you're interested!)**

**Now I think everything is medically and legally accurate... if it's not, please feel free to tell me! Please review if you can!**


	13. Chapter 13

**That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Thirteen_

"Alice, Alice, calm down," I soothed, taking my usual seat beside her. "Calm down. It's gonna be okay! I promise."

"No it's not," she whimpered. "I'll be a f-freak!"

I wrapped my arm gently around her shoulder, feeling her shaking underneath me. "It's completely normal for this to happen, Alice. It'll grow back eventually. Maybe you can do something different with it, then. And besides," I said, gaining confidence with my argument. "There are always plenty of wigs out there. You can give them a try."

She sniffed, glancing tentatively at Jasper.

"Al, darling, I'll love you however you look. You should know that by now."

A tiny smile made its way onto her lips and she leaned back against her pillow. The hair in her hands dropped to the floor and I quickly swept it under the bed with my foot. She soon fell asleep, clearly tired from all of her emotional outbursts. I sighed heavily, wondering how she would cope when she would eventually lose all of her hair.

"I'm sorry that I panicked," Jasper suddenly said after a while. "I... I just didn't know what to do. She was hysterical..."

He looked a little helpless and lost at that moment, so I tried to give him my most reassuring smile.

"Alice will get through this, I know she will. In a few month's time, you'll be husband and wife and it'll all be a bad memory. You'll see."

He just sighed.

"Anyway, if you don't mind, I just need to go and see if Edward's still in the cafe." I stood up and walked over to the door. "I felt a bit guilty about leaving him so abruptly."

"You're spending a lot of time with him," Jasper replied.

"Thanks for that observation."

He raised his eyebrows but said nothing else.

***

I was beyond pleased to see Edward still sitting there when I made my way back. Despite everything that had just happened, the thought of talking to him made me feel a little bit better. I couldn't understand why, just accepted it.

He was staring at the table apparently deep in thought and, once I said hello, he jumped a little in surprise.

"Bella," he said, slowly smiling. "I didn't expect you t-to come back here."

I took a seat. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I felt awful about leaving you like that."

He shook his head. "Don't be. I understand completely. H-how is Alice now?"

"Um..." I bit my lip awkwardly. "She's started to lose some of her hair."

"Oh. I really am s-sorry to hear that." He paused. "It'll g-grow back though..."

I met his eyes. "That's what I said to her. I doubt it was any consolation."

"Having you there was probably enough."

"Yeah..." I shifted around uncomfortably. "And Jasper, of course."

We were silent for a moment, both staring off into space. It randomly occurred to me that I had meant to ask him something but couldn't help cringing at the thought of doing so. It was likely he'd say no or feel really awkward about it all... But then again...

"Bella?" Edward suddenly asked, and my eyes refocused on his face. "Are y-you alright?"

"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking."

"You've r-really had so much to worry about lately," he said. "It's not f-fair."

"It's been selfish of me to burden those worries on you, too," I sighed, staring at my hands which were twisting around on the table. "With the whole-"

"Bella, if y-you're going to apologise again for that incident with Emmett, then please don't," he interrupted. "It wasn't your f-fault."

I was about to protest further but was startled to feel his warm hand on mine. My heart beat immediately accelerated and I experienced that tingly feeling again.

"I-I'm going for an interview tomorrow," I stammered, internally frowning at my inability to speak properly. "And... and-"

I couldn't bring myself to say it. I was going to sound so self-centred once more, constantly asking for Edward's help.

"And what, Bella?" he asked, leaning a little closer.

"I was wondering if you'd please come with me," I blurted in a rush, feeling my cheeks heating up. I avoided his gaze, focusing on the feeling of his skin against mine. That didn't really help with my jumbled thoughts.

"Bella," he started. "I-"

"I'm sorry, I understand if you can't come. I'm just... I'm just scared," I admitted, still looking at the table. "I'm being selfish but-"

"Bella," he cut in, and the way he said my name caused me to look up and meet his gaze. He smiled fractionally. "Of c-course I'll go with you. I'll support you anytime."

My chest felt a little heavy at that point. "Thank you," I whispered, feeling a little blinded from an emotion building up inside of me. I couldn't really understand what it was.

"What t-time is it?" he asked, taking out his phone.

"I'm gonna go at eleven in the morning," I told him and watched as he concentrated on typing in the numbers. His eyebrows furrowed together and his tongue poked out a little, causing me to smile uncontrollably to myself.

"Do you w-want me to take you there?" he offered.

I opened and closed my mouth a few times before managing an answer. "That's... that's so kind of you." He stayed silent. "Well, if it's not too much trouble..."

He shook his head. "It's no p-problem."

"I'll be in the hospital overnight, I'm staying with Alice."

He nodded. "So I could meet you here at half past t-ten, would that be alright?"

"That's great." I bit my lip. "Thank you."

He smiled widely, showing me most of his lovely teeth. "Like I said, it's n-no problem."

***

When I woke the following morning, my neck was sore and my whole body ached. I cursed to myself as I stretched out and wiggled my toes. Alice was asleep next to me and so was Jasper. I sighed heavily, glancing at my watch. It was 9am and everything was strangely quiet around me.

"Morning, Bells."

I glanced over at Alice and saw her slowly sitting upright against her head board. I gave her a small smile which soon disappeared as my gaze moved to her pillow. She soon followed my eyes and clamped her hand over her mouth at the sight.

There were clumps of hair lying there.

"Oh my god!" she sobbed. "I... I-"

"It's OK," I soothed, doing my usual job. "It was going to happen anyway. Don't worry."

"B-But..." she managed, trailing off helplessly.

"I know." She rested her head against my shoulder and I couldn't help noticing the bare spots on the back of her head. "Just think about what Jasper said."

She sniffed, wiping at her eyes. "It's... it's h-hard."

"But you'll get through this." I felt like I was a broken record, always repeating the same things over and over. "You really will."

We were both quiet and the only sound I could hear was Jasper's gentle breathing.

"How long is it until the wedding now?" I asked, desperate to keep her spirits up and change the subject.

"Just under a month," she answered, smiling. "You realise we're having a hen night in three weeks, right?"

I raised my hand to my forehead dramatically. "Oh God! Someone help me!"

She nudged me weakly in the ribs. "You'll love it. And besides, we've got to stay off the alcohol."

"Just be gentle with me," I pleaded, grinning at her.

"Sure, sure."

***

Just over an hour later, Edward appeared at the ward and knocked on the door. I glanced at Alice and Jasper, wondering if I should let him in. They nodded, obviously wanting to meet him for something.

"Hi," I smiled, inviting him inside. "Thanks for coming."

He looked a little nervous but still managed a reply. "No p-problem."

"Um, I thought you might want to meet Alice and Jasper," I said, gesturing towards them. "I've told them plenty about you."

His face lit up like a Christmas tree. "I'm Edward. Edward Cullen. It's nice to m-meet you both."

Jasper stood up and shook his hand. "It was very brave of you to save Bella from Emmett."

"Thank you," he replied quietly. His gaze shifted to Alice who was looking at him a little disapprovingly. "How are you f-feeling? Bella always t-tells me about you..."

Alice's face softened. "I'm OK, thank you. As good as I can be."

Edward smiled gently. "You're very courageous."

"She is," I agreed.

"Why are you here, if you don't mind me asking?" Jasper said, sitting back down beside Alice.

"Oh... hasn't B-Bella told you?" Edward frowned, glancing at me.

"Edward's coming with me to the police station," I explained. "I needed some support and he kindly agreed to go."

Jasper narrowed his eyes somewhat mischieviously. "Alright..."

"We'd better go actually," I said, noticing the time. "Call me if anything happens."

"Good luck," Jasper called after us.

"Wait, Bella!" Alice shouted. "Can I just have a quick word with you?"

"We're a bit pushed for time Alice."

"I won't be a sec, I promise."

I looked over at Edward apologetically and left him standing outside. I closed the door behind me and waited for Alice.

"Promise me something, Bells."

"Uh... OK..." I answered carefully.

"If you're going to be..." she paused, searching for a word. "_Socialising _with Edward a lot more from now on, _please _let me give him a makeover."

I stared at her, open-mouthed and probably catching flies. "I'm sorry? And what do you mean, _socialising_?"

She and Jasper exchanged a very odd, knowing look. "Well, Bells, lets be honest. He isn't the most fashion conscious of all people."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't say no. "Alright. Whatever. If he lets you."

She grinned happily. "Oh he will. And I've got a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of him from now on, anyway."

My hand rested on the door handle. "What do you mean by that?"

"You'll see," she winked.

I sighed heavily. "Well I'll see you both later. Like I said, call me if anything happens."

"Alright Bella," Jasper smiled. "Good luck."

I opened the door. "I may just need it."

***

Edward opened the door of his car for me and I took a seat, making myself comfortable. The inside of his Volvo was completely tidy and smelled vaguely of air freshener.

He took his seat behind the wheel and smiled nervously at me. The engine started up and he drove down the road in a strangely relaxing silence.

"How are you feeling?" he asked suddenly.

"A little nervous," I admitted. "My father was a police man, but I still find them intimidating."

"Oh, how are t-things with your parents?" he asked as we stopped at some traffic lights. "I forgot to ask."

"It's all good," I replied. "I'm so pleased I got back in touch."

His lips tugged into a smile. "Glad to h-hear it."

"How about you? You're always asking about me yet I don't know that much about you."

I noticed that his hands gripped a little tighter on the wheel. "What d-do you need to know?"

I had to think about this and realised how inappropriate I was being. "I'm sorry. Maybe I'm getting too personal here."

"I don't mind."

The car started up again and we moved forwards, travelling steadily past the traffic.

"I lied to you."

My eyes widened a little in surprise. "What do you mean, Edward?"

"I..." he paused, looking directly ahead. "I haven't been c-completely truthful."

I waited patiently in silence, feeling a little worried.

"There's a reason w-why I spend so much time at the hospital with my father," he said slowly. "I had a p-problem."

"A problem?"

He nodded. "I was an a-alcoholic."

I swallowed, unable to say anything. That was certainly a surprise.

"My accident... well, when I was in the car, there was... somebody else in there with m-me. My best friend." He broke off for a while. "He... he didn't survive."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, reaching over to rub his shoulder. His whole body was tense and rigid.

"For a while I honestly believed it was my f-fault. I thought I'd k-killed him." I hadn't realised before, but he was shaking now. "I still feel awful in case the same thing happens again.... I'm taking a risk driving y-you to the s-station really... I can't b-bear thinking about hurting someone so-"

I interrupted him. "Edward, you don't still blame yourself, do you?"

He calmed down a little. "No. I... I don't think so." He took in a deep breath. "After the accident I turned to alcohol, thinking that it would s-solve my problems. I took up new interests, t-trying to create a new life and l-leave the past behind. I hadn't t-told my father how I was f-feeling and bottled it all up."

I watched him carefully, realising just how much he was telling me. "This happened for months and months... but I realised I couldn't g-go on any longer and... I told him. I told him and he's b-been helping me ever since. I h-have weak moments and h-have to see him a lot of the time. I c-can confide in him."

I was really surprised by just how much I didn't know. I felt so sorry for him... I could have helped.

"Edward, I'm r-really sorry about that," I sighed. "You could h-have told me."

He didn't say anything, just stared ahead.

"Is that why you came to see me in the first place? To try and help yourself?"

He nodded slowly. "I thought it would h-help."

"It has, really. I met you."

He looked over at me momentarily, smiling a little.

"Thank you for l-listening to that, Bella," he said. "I'm sorry for l-lying but we've both s-shared so much with eachother now."

I nodded, realising how awful our pasts were; we had a lot in common. "It's brought us closer." I hadn't meant to say that aloud and I cringed, realising that I had.

"If you ever have any... weak moments, you can always talk to me too," I offered after a tense moment.

He met my gaze. "That m-means a lot. Thank you, Bella."

We sat in silence for the rest of the journey and I realised a few more things as I thought to myself. Edward and myself had a close bond, and he was genuinely one of the nicest men I had ever met. He was brilliant and caring and sensitive, unlike many people these days. It still caused me to wince thinking back to the way I had first treated him but I hoped that, after all we'd been through together since, he would forgive me.

I really did need Edward now. He was wonderful, somebody who I could always rely on.

_And his touch makes you tingle._

I frowned, thinking about that. I couldn't make any sense of it.

"We're here," he announced, making me start a little. In front of us stood the grand, grey police station and I shivered slightly.

"It'll b-be fine," he said, parking the car. He cut off the engine and looked over at me. There was something new in his expression too, and I hoped that it was trust.

"Ready?" he asked, resting his fingers on the door handle. He placed his other hand on mine, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb.

I took a deep breath. "Let's get this over with."

***

"I can't believe it!" I squealed.

Edward smiled widely at me as I signed some papers.

"He deserves everything he gets," he replied.

"So they've practically guaranteed that he's going to jail now," I said shakily. The relief was overwhelming.

"Yup," Edward said. "And you don't even have to appear in c-court."

"What a bonus," I laughed.

As we walked outside and towards his car, I suddenly had another overwhelming urge to hug him. I ignored all my instincts and did so, gripping onto him tightly. He was frozen for a moment but soon hugged me back, wrapping his arms around my body. It felt wonderful, even better than the last time.

We pulled away, meeting each other's eyes from a mere few inches apart. I took a deep breath and swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous.

My phone beeped in my pocket and I closed my eyes, backing away and reaching to retrieve it. I had a text message and quickly opened it. My eyes widened in disbelief once I had read the content.

"Oh my _God_."

* * *

**Argh, mini cliffhanger. ****Anyway I hope you liked that chapter. There were plenty of Edward/Bella moments and some stuff about Edward's past. **

**Just thought I'd say, I've just released a new story called 'Completely Irresistible' which is Bella/Carlisle, so please read that if you have the time!**

**Now, if you leave me a review, I'll tell Edward to hug you too. Bargain! Also, I was thinking that I could have a question for the reviews like many other people do, and this is it: If you had such a horrible past like Edward or Bella, would you tell anyone new you meet or would you just bottle it up?**

**Answer it if you like... I'll feel a little foolish otherwise :P I'll just call it a test run. Anyway, bye for now!!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Quick update despite my rotten cold! (sniff) Author's note at the bottom as usual. **

**Edit: I've added some links on my profile of how I imagine Bella and Edward looking, here's a teaser for Edward: http : // thinkingofrob . files . wordpress . com / 2009 /1 0 / caps081 . jpg (Remove spaces.) Enjoy!! He's so adorable!! I'm in love.**

* * *

**That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Fourteen_

"I don't believe it," I breathed, staring ahead at Edward. "He... he... It doesn't make sense!"

"Who is it, Bella?" he asked, holding onto my arm. "Bella?"

I slipped my phone back into my pocket, still in disbelief. "It was Jasper. He's..." I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "He's just told me that... that Alice has shaved off all of her hair."

His eyes visibly widened and we quickly rushed over to his car. "W-Why would she do that?"

We both sat inside and he started up the engine. I pondered this, thinking through Alice's reasoning.

"Maybe..."

Edward spoke but trailed off, shaking her head. "No. S-Sorry ignore me."

I didn't say anything, just kept thinking. After a while, I managed to come up with something fairly plausible. "I think I might have a theory, actually."

Edward looked interested. "What's that?"

"Well, maybe she's done it to make it easier for herself," I said slowly. "It must be difficult seeing all your hair gradually falling out, especially for Alice because she's so body conscious. Maybe she shaved it off in one go to save on the pain."

"That would m-make sense," Edward replied. "It seems like you know her w-well."

"Imagine what it was like for Jasper, though," I pondered.

"He's had a lot to deal with lately. So have you."

I nodded absently, still feeling surprised. Now that I was beginning to accept what Alice had done, it did seem quite reasonable. Maybe she'd made a wise decision.

After a few moments' silence, I glanced over at Edward who was concentrating intently on the road. "Thanks again for today, Edward. It means a lot to me."

I saw the corner of his lips lift upwards. "No problem."

I vaguely thought through everything he had said earlier, sifting through all the information. My mind was on overdrive and, all of a sudden, one problem jumped out towards me. Before I could even consider what I was saying, my mouth was already opening and words were spilling out.

"Edward, you know you said you... well, you were an alcoholic?" I paused, quickly adding, "Sorry to bring this up again."

"It's alright," he murmured, and there was a little fear in his voice. "C-Carry on."

"Well I, erm, I can't help wondering... how were you a teacher during that time?"

He winced before sighing heavily. "I... I'm sorry, Bella."

I didn't say anything, just waited patiently.

"I had to g-give up my job because of it. I haven't been teaching for months, now."

I frowned. "But you told me-"

"I k-know... I didn't want to admit the t-truth... I wanted to sound impressive. I'm sorry."

I genuinely understood, which was a surprise to me. "It's alright. I can see your reasoning." After a pause, I asked, "So, what have you been doing with yourself with all your spare time?"

He shrugged. "Nothing m-much, apart from seeing you." A smile crept onto his face but soon disappeared. "I don't really feel r-ready to go back into work yet."

"Well, you could teach me some Physics," I joked, causing him to laugh. "Do you think you'll ever go back to teaching, then?"

"I'd like to... I just don't know if anybody would w-want me."

"Ah, of course they will, Edward."

We were at the hospital before I knew it and the thought of seeing Alice without any hair did fill me with a little bit of fear. I think Edward noticed this because, after he had cut off the car's engine, he turned towards me, smiling reassuringly.

"D-Do you want me to come in with you?" he asked.

"If it's not too much trouble..." I trailed off.

"It's not."

We walked into the hospital together and soon reached Alice's room. I sighed, feeling my life travelling around in some kind of cruel circle once again.

"Ready?" Edward asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am."

I opened the door and almost gasped in surprise. I managed to just about keep myself together, though, and stared ahead at the unfamiliar person sitting on the bed in front of me.

"Hi," I murmured.

I sat down by Alice while Edward hovered over by the door. I couldn't believe how calm she was and I could see from Jasper's dazed expression that he was still in shock. I couldn't blame him.

Alice looked almost completely normal by her facial expression, but the lack of hair on her head was a little distracting. It was painful to see this happening to my best friend.

"Alice... wh-"

She interrupted me. "I know what you're thinking, Bells, but doing this was easier for me, I need you to understand that. I... I couldn't bear watching my hair slowly fall out..." She broke off, obviously a little choked.

"It's OK, Alice," I said. "It was just a bit of a surprise, that's all."

She smiled. "I'm always full of surprises."

I let out a long breath. "When did you do it?"

I saw her peek at Jasper somewhat nervously. "I asked Jasper to get me some food from the vending machine and did it while he was down there."

"But, Alice, didn't you think of how-"

She interrupted me again. "I knew that he'd protest or something so I just did it."

"I wouldn't have protested," Jasper said quietly. "I would have supported your decision."

She smiled briefly. "I'm sorry. It... it must have been horrible for you."

He shook his head. "I'm OK with it. I think. You still look beautiful, anyway."

"Ah well, I'm like Britney Spears now, so it must be cool," she joked.

"Don't say that, Al," I frowned, a little alarmed at her casual attitude.

Alice glanced over at Edward and gestured for him to join us. "Why don't you come in?"

He looked surprised but walked over, tentatively taking a seat next to me.

"So, how did the interview go?" Alice asked, keen to make conversation.

A smile broke onto my face, despite the circumstances. "Fantastic. They said he's probably going to be charged and held in prison for a long time."

"Thank goodness for that," she sighed. "He was a right tw-"

"Yeah, I get the picture," I laughed.

We spent a long time talking and Edward happily joined in. The subject soon moved towards Alice and Jasper's wedding.

"It's only a few weeks away now," Alice squealed. "We've got so much to plan... we need to get the invitations out."

"How many people were you thinking of inviting?" I asked.

"Not too many," Jasper answered. "We want it to be a small occasion."

"That's a change for you, Al," I grinned.

"Your parents could come, Bells," she offered.

"Oh... well, um... if you're sure," I stammered, very aware of the fact that Alice still didn't know everything.

"Yeah, I'd love to meet them," she smiled. Her gaze turned towards Edward who was looking at the floor, feeling a little awkward. "You could come too if you like, Edward."

His head snapped up and his eyes widened in surprise behind his glasses. "Uh... I-"

"You're Bella's friend now, aren't you? That makes you a friend of mine." I could tell she was probably intending to say something else but stopped herself just in time, and I was very grateful for this. She was likely to be thinking about commenting on his clothing or something along those lines.

We all waited for his response and I was hoping he would agree. He briefly looked at me and I nodded slowly in encouragement.

"Well... thank you," he managed. "I'd b-be honoured."

Alice smiled warmly. "It'll be nice having you there as a couple."

My breath caught and I prayed that nobody had noticed.

"Anyway, I'd better get h-home now," Edward suddenly said, standing up. "Thanks again."

"Oh, OK," I frowned, feeling a little disappointed. "Will I see you again soon?"

"Of course," he smiled, giving me a small wave.

"Bye," I called, watching him walk down the corridor. When I turned back towards Alice and Jasper they were both looking mischievious again. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing," Alice said, picking at her nails.

"Riiight... Well I'm gonna go home for a bit now too, if that's alright?"

Alice nodded. "I won't do anything crazy this time."

I eyed her carefully before wishing them goodbye and leaving out the door.

***

"It's only me!" I called, shutting the door behind me. "Mom?"

"In the kitchen!" she replied.

"How's your day been?" Dad asked when I walked in, kissing them both on the cheek.

"Um, quite crazy, to be honest. But what else can you expect from me these days?"

Mom's expression stayed serious. "Is that asshole Emmett going down?"

I scoffed at Mom's language. "Yes. Yes he is."

"Too right," Dad grumbled. "How dare he even lay a finger on my daughter. He's just scum. Filth."

"How's Alice?" Mom questioned and I was grateful for the change of topic.

"She's good," I said, getting myself some orange juice. "Actually she was wondering if you'd like to go to her and Jasper's wedding?"

"Ooh, she sounds like a lovely girl," Mom smiled. "Of course we'll go. Any opportunity to dig out my hat."

Dad snorted. "You've only ever worn it twice."

"Three times actually. I wore it at Bella's we-" She trailed off and I bit my lip at the sudden reminder.

"Sorry, love," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright," I murmured in a rush. "I'll tell her that you can come when I see her later."

"When is it?"

"Three or four weeks' time, I think."

"Not wasting any time, then," Dad commented.

"Yeah, well," I said, standing up. "Life's too short to waste time."

***

I was sat on the sofa, absently watching some television, when my phone suddenly buzzed in my pocket. I immediately felt a wave of fear, remembering my previous experience. I took a deep breath and looked on the screen. It was actually a phone call and the caller ID told me that it was Edward.

"Sorry, excuse me a sec," I said to my parents, walking out the room and into the hall. I held the phone up to my ear and answered. "Edward?"

"Bella," he said, a little breathlessly. "I'm r-really sorry to bother you but... there's been a bit of a disaster."

My body froze and I turned cold. I tried my hardest to speak. "What is it?"

"It's my f-flat, there was a fire." He sounded shaken and my eyes widened at the news.

"Oh my goodness, were you in it? Are you OK?"

"No, I c-came back and the fire crew were putting out the flames. It w-was a bit of a shock."

"Gosh," I sighed. "Edward, I really am so sorry to hear that. How bad was the damage?"

"Well l-luckily most of my valuables were salvaged but it's unusable for at least a few w-weeks."

I rubbed at my eyes, feeling awful for him. "I really am so sorry. Do you have any idea how it happened?"

"They've been s-saying that somebody left something cooking while they were out," he told me.

I sighed. "That's awful."

We were silent for a moment, the only sound being the irritating crackle of the line. I had a sudden idea and chewed on my lip, wondering if it would work.

"Hang on, Edward," I told him, placing the phone on the desk. I walked back into the living room and stood in the doorway.

"Mom, Dad, I have a problem."

They both looked up immediately. "Oh no, it's not Alice, is it?"

"No," I said. "No, it's my friend Edward."

"Who?" Dad frowned.

"He's a friend," I answered quickly, the same time as Mom said, "Her friend."

It sounded dodgy but I carried on regardless. "His flat's just been destroyed in a fire and I don't think he has anywhere to stay. I was thinking that, maybe for a few weeks, I could live back in my old flat with him. It would only be temporary, of course, and I'd come to see you everyday..."

I trailed off in time for Mom and Dad to exchange a glance.

After a long pause, Dad spoke. "If you're sure that you trust him, then who are we to say no?"

I smiled. "Yes, I do trust him. A lot, actually."

"Then do it," Mom said softly.

"Thanks." I sighed with relief and quickly picked up the phone. "Edward? Are you still there?"

"Yes, h-hi Bella."

"I've had an idea. Do you have anywhere to live at the moment?"

He was hesitant. "Um, n-no. My parents don't have any room at their house and they're going off on holiday in a f-few days anyway."

"Well," I smiled, happy that he was free, "I was wondering if you wanted to stay at my flat with me for a few weeks? Just until your own flat is fixed up."

There was silence for a long time and I was worried the line had disconnected. "Edward? Edward?"

"Sorry, I am h-here," he said. "I'm just... surprised. That's v-very kind of you."

"Would you like to?" I asked.

"If it's alright with you. I mean... I thought you were staying w-with your parents, though?"

"I'll stay at the flat with you until everything's sorted."

He sighed. "T-Thank you so much Bella. I... I can't show how grateful I am. I didn't mean to b-bother you in the f-first place, I just p-panicked."

"It really is no problem," I replied, and my words were completely true. In fact, I was strangely looking forward to it.

"And besides," I added, realising another bonus to my plan. "I've had enough of sleeping in the hospital chairs all the time. I know it's selfish of me, but my flat's closer to the hospital anyway, so if anything goes wrong, I'm always near. Jasper could always phone me in any emergencies."

"You're f-far from selfish, Bella," Edward replied. "You're one of the m-most caring people I've ever met."

I felt myself blushing with pride. "Shall I meet you at the hospital in about an hour?"

"S-Sure. Thanks again, you're b-brilliant."

I laughed. "Thank you. That's the greatest compliment I've had in a long time."

"See you later," he said with a chuckle.

"Will do."

I already couldn't wait.

* * *

**Very sorry for it being so short but I'm a bit bleh at the moment. However, things are moving along with Edward and Bella, so that's all good!**

**The question seemed to go down well last time so here's another one: If you were in Alice's position, would you rather watch your hair gradually falling out or would you cut if off to save on the pain?**

**Just thought I'd say, I'm planning around 20/21 chapters for this story. I just wanted to inform you so that you know what to expect.**

**Anyway please leave your thoughts if you can, they're all appreciated!**


	15. Chapter 15

******That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Fifteen_

I was sat with Alice and Jasper half an hour later, telling them both about my plans. Naturally, they were both shocked and didn't seem to approve about what was going to happen. I took a deep breath to calm myself, waiting for the enslaught.

"You're gonna live with him?" Alice frowned. "Like, properly _live _with him? In _our _place?"

I rolled my eyes. "I couldn't exactly let him live in a burnt out flat. He doesn't deserve that."

"Doesn't he have parents to stay with?" Alice countered, obviously looking for a way out.

"Yes," I said slowly. "But they're on vacation at the moment."

Alice's reply was a strange little noise.

"Do you trust him?" Jasper asked carefully.

"Yeah, I do. I've shared things with him that I haven't even told-" I trailed off, feeling my face prickling. Damn, I'd _really_ blown it this time...

"Told who?" Alice asked.

"Uh..." I looked around the room desperately. "Lets... lets just say there are a few things I need to tell you sometime soon..."

Her eyes widened and I saw Jasper turn rigid. I knew what he thought I was on about, but he couldn't be more wrong. I gave him a look, trying my hardest to tell him this. I'd actually forgotten all about it until that moment, and the memory was a little disturbing to relive.

"Is Edward gonna be sleeping in my bed?" Alice asked suddenly, wrinkling her nose.

"No," I replied, feeling a little relieved for the subject change. "He'll have to sleep on the sofa."

"That's alright, then," she said, shuddering lightly. I didn't know why, but I felt angry at this. She had _seemed_ to like him earlier and I couldn't understand her sudden change of heart.

"Alice, it's not like he's got a disease or anything," I snapped. "He really is a decent person."

"But Bella... he's... _nerdy_." She said the word like it left a bad taste in her mouth.

"If you bothered to get to know him, you'd see past that," I argued.

"You didn't deny it," Alice murmured under her breath.

"Oh for goodness' sake," I grumbled, running my fingers through my hair.

"Argh, I'm sorry Bella," Alice suddenly said, clearly backtracking. "I've been getting terrible mood swings lately. I... I can't help it."

A sigh escaped my lips and I felt horrible again. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that."

She smiled timidly and there was a sudden knock on the door. I turned around and Edward was standing there with a heavy-looking suitcase in each hand.

"Hi," I said, happy to see him. "Is that everything you need?"

He nodded, causing his glasses to slip down his nose. He sighed, setting down one of the cases and promptly pushing them back in place with his free hand. "S-sorry, y-yes, this is everything."

"Right, we'd best be off, then," I told them, smiling to myself. "I'll see you tomorrow, OK?"

"OK," Alice replied quietly, not uttering another word.

***

"I'm really sorry about this," I gushed, watching Edward haul the suitcases up the final flight of stairs. "There really should be an elevator here..."

I stood up the top of the steps awkwardly, fiddling with my coat buttons. Edward had refused to let me help him with his bags, insisting that he could carry them by himself. Because of his flushed face and panting breath, I soon realised that this really wasn't the case, no pun intended.

He eventually reached the top, chucking the cases on the floor and leaning against the wall in exhaustion. After a few deep breaths he turned towards me, looking a little bewildered. "Blimey."

I couldn't help grinning at the expression in his voice. "I did offer to help... but don't worry, you can have a rest on the sofa after all that hard work."

Once I'd unlocked the door, we both stepped inside and I felt a little prickle of self consciousness. I hadn't been here in a while and I feared that there might be some dust or something somewhere... I just hoped he wouldn't mind a little bit of clutter.

"Sorry if there's any mess," I said, kicking the door shut with my foot. "Nobody really lives here anymore..."

"It looks lovely in h-here, Bella," he complimented, taking a look around. "It's very... you."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, feeling a little confused.

"I don't know why, r-really, it just... is," he shrugged.

I still felt a bit puzzled but just nodded, offering him a coffee. I was extra special to avoid the mention of alcohol, cursing to myself about my relaxed attitude towards it in the past. When Edward and myself had first met, I'd carelessly offered him some wine and then joked about the way that he had refused it. I felt awful about that now; I was so stereotypical at the time, not taking anything into consideration. On top of this, Alice and I had joked about that photo album and the pictures of me with a bottle of drink. I felt terrible about that too... There were people out there with real problems and I just took it all for granted.

He politely declined and asked for some water instead, something which I fastly assumed was becoming his favourite beverage.

I handed him the glass and quickly gave him a tour of the flat for good measure. It didn't take long and we promptly took a seat on the sofa; Edward looked absolutely shattered and I felt a surge of pity towards him. I was pleased, though, because he looked comfortable here and was finally beginning to relax, something which I had grown to learn that he found difficult.

I soon noticed him staring at a particular area in the room and followed his gaze curiously. My eyes immediately widened and all of my body tensed up. So much for feeling relaxed...

He quickly saw me looking and hastily apologised. "S-Sorry, I shouldn't be staring," he murmured.

"No, it's OK," I managed. "That's D-David, in case you were wondering."

My throat burned a little. I could only bear having one photo of him in the flat and I barely looked at it out of fear of the pain it would cause.

"Y-You look so happy there," he said, causing me to smile briefly.

"It was a few days before our wedding," I told him. "Good times."

My voice trailed off and we sat in a thoughtful silence for a while. After a few moments, however, my stomach growled loudly and I recoiled in embarrassment.

"Argh, maybe I'd better make some food. Would you like anything?"

"Uh, I don't mind," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "If you l-like."

"I'll see what I can rustle up." I was actually keen to get out of the room and keep my mind busy.

"Couldn't we o-order something?" Edward offered. "It w-would save on the trouble..."

"It's fine," I sighed, looking through the cupboards and waiting for my emotions to be back in check.

***

"The pasta wil be ready in a minute or two," I called, about half an hour later. I was stirring the contents of the pot and humming to myself. I'd forgotten how much cooking actually relaxed me and was grateful to keep myself occupied.

"Bella, I did say we c-could get a takeaway instead," he replied with a hint of guilt in his voice. "I d-don't want to cause any f-fuss."

I sighed to myself. The amount of times he'd apologised this evening was unbelievable. He didn't even realise that I actually wanted him here, deep down.

"I know my cooking is bad, but I really do insist," I teased, smiling to myself.

He didn't have an answer to that and I smirked smugly. The water was bubbling over madly now and I quickly turned down the heat, moving towards the sink to drain the pasta. As I was doing this, my phone buzzed in my pocket, causing me to jump and suddenly feel a painful sensation along a few of my fingers.

It all happened in a blur; the pan clattered against the sink and I involuntarily yelped, clutching my arm to my chest. There was still a horrible stinging and I glanced at my hand, noticing a few ugly blisters across some of my fingers.

Tears were gathering in my eyes before I could stop them and Edward swiftly arrived in the room. At first he looked confused but, as soon as he realised what had happened, he rushed over towards me, gently placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Bella, are you alright? Did you s-scald yourself?"

I nodded slowly, still a little shocked.

"OK, we n-need to run some cold water over your fingers." He eyed me carefully. "Can I t-take a look at them?"

I held my hand out to him and he winced, noticing the marks.

"R-Right, the water will h-h-help, I p-promise."

He turned on the tap and the cooling sensation of the water was immediately soothing. I closed my eyes, letting out a little sigh and suddenly feeling Edward's hand lying somewhat protectively on my shoulder. He was right behind me, watching carefully, and I wondered briefly what he was thinking.

I really hoped he wasn't feeling guilty about this, as usual.

"Before you say anything, this really wasn't your fault, Edward," I said shakily, alarmed by my uneven voice.

I twisted my neck around to look at him. His gaze met mine and he shook his head. "I know. It w-was an accident."

After a moment, his eyes moved back to my hand and he flicked off the water, turning me around and obviously thinking to himself.

"Argh!" He ran a hand through his hair in apparent despair. "I h-had first aid training a few years ago, I should be able to r-remember what to do..." His eyebrows furrowed together.

"Um, I think we might have some bandages or something in the cupboard over there," I suggested.

He nodded, stretching up to reach the handle and quickly rummaging around. "A-ha."

He pulled down the box, staggering a little when he lost his balance.

"H-Here we are," he smiled, standing close to me.

After a little look he found some suitable bandaging and we sat down together at the table. I rested my hand in his, watching his face as he worked.

"Did you learn some of this from your father?" I asked.

He chuckled for a moment. "I did, actually. He insisted that I s-should know some basics."

"Thank goodness for that, then."

He made a noise of general agreement and began wrapping something around my fingers. He was incredibly gentle all the time and, once he was finished, he looked truimphant and smiled over at me. "How d-does that feel?"

"It's great," I said honestly. "Thank you."

"When you g-go over to see Alice next time maybe you should get it c-checked over by a doctor."

I nodded. "Yeah, I will do."

"Is it sore at all?" he questioned while packing away all the things.

"A bit, but I'll survive."

"OK," he said, a little wearily.

My gaze moved around the kitchen and I grimaced, catching sight of the sink. "Is any of the pasta salvagable?"

He took a quick peek and I nearly laughed at the look on his face.

"I'm guessing that's a no, then?"

With a sheepish smile, he nodded. "Want a t-takeaway?"

I sighed in defeat. "Alright then."

I pulled out my phone to dial the number, soon realising that I hadn't checked it when it had buzzed earlier. I noticed a text from Alice and immediately felt worried, something which came naturally now. I carefully opened the message and soon grimaced.

_Have a nice night with Edward ;)_

_A. x_

I rolled my eyes, not daring to think what was on her mind.

***

A few hours later, it was dark outside and Edward and I were sat together on the sofa, staring at the television. The programme showing was slowly numbing my brain.

"This is boring," I mumbled, reaching for the remote.

After spending a ridiculous amount of time flicking through channels with my good hand, I came to the disappointing conclusion that nothing was on tonight.

"Bummer," I sighed, flinging the remote down on the table.

"I d-don't mind what you put on," Edward pointed out, clearly trying to make me feel better.

"But what sort of hostess would I be without any TV?" I retorted. I chewed on my lip for a few moments, desperately thinking to myself. All of a sudden, the solution came to me and I couldn't believe how I hadn't thought of it sooner.

"Oooh! I know!" I suddenly squealed, causing Edward to jump and look at me in alarm.

"Give me a sec," I said, practically leaping off the sofa and rushing off into my bedroom.

I rummaged carefully under my bed, smirking to myself as I found my secret stash of DVDs. I hurried back into the lounge to an amused looking Edward who was glancing over at me in obvious expectation. I dumped the pile of boxes onto the sofa and grinned.

"Doctor Who!" he laughed. "What a b-brilliant idea!"

"Thank you," I said with a little bow. "Now... which one to watch?"

To my surprise, we both pointed to the same box and laughed together as I put it on and sat back.

"I always cry at this, though," I warned, suddenly feeling a little worried. "So expect tears."

He stuck out his bottom lip in what I assumed was a mocking gesture and I nudged him playfully. "I bet you cried the first time you saw it."

He shrugged casually and I realised that must be a yes.

The opening credits launched on the screen and I settled down, clutching a pillow to my chest. Edward and myself were quite close together on the sofa, our shoulders almost touching. I was surprised that I liked the idea of this.

I took a deep breath, preparing for the sadness.

***

I wiped at my eyes in embarrassment, feeling a familiar sense of heartbreak over what was happening on the screen. I'd always related so well with the characters and never failed to sob when watching the final scenes.

I saw Edward glance over at me in my peripheral vision and I looked over, smiling weakly. He held out his arm and, in slight shock at his gesture, I snuggled over closer to him, resting my head on his chest. The warmth radiating from his body temporarily stopped my tears but, when the words that affected me so deeply everytime were uttered again on the screen, I weeped.

Edward's hand was rubbing my shoulder lightly and I sniffed pathetically.

_"Am I ever gonna see you again?"_

I swallowed thickly, thinking back to David. I couldn't help feeling guilty and ashamed; what would he think of my behaviour with Edward? I was going around in full circles with this torrent of guilt; I knew he'd want to be happy for me, but was it too soon? It wasn't like anything was really happening with Edward anyway...

Not yet, at least.

The scene eventually ended and the final credits began showing. I let out a shaky sigh and rubbed at my eyes once more, still leaning against Edward's chest.

"That scene means a l-lot to you, doesn't he?" he asked softly.

I nodded. "Yeah. I'd f-forgotten how much it affects me."

His chest rose and fell as he took another breath. "It'll be alright."

I closed my eyes and was alarmed at how suddenly reluctant I was to open them again. Edward was silent for a long time and the sound of his breathing created a steady, slow rhythm...

No, Bella. Do not fall asleep on Edward. _Don't_.

I murmured something incoherent and exhaled heavily, unable to gather the energy to move. I snuggled closer to him, feeling the weight of my eyelids becoming overwhelming. I vaguely heard Edward mutter a few words before I slipped off into an exhausted sleep.

***

I was sluggishly aware of myself slowly regaining consciousness and I lay still for a moment, not wanting everything to come back to me.

I sat in blissful unawareness for a time I couldn't measure, when suddenly I heard a sound coming a few inches away from me. I grumbled to myself, adjusting my position and feeling my head brush against something hard.

I was thoroughly confused.

Unwillinging, I opened my eyes and blinked a few times to try and displace the blurriness. I looked around and turned my head, suddenly seeing somebody lying beside me.

I instinctively jolted backwards, causing the person to stir and open his eyes.

I hardly recognised him and was beginning to feel scared but, when the familiar green eyes stared at me and the smile I knew came onto his face, I relaxed a little. It was Edward.

Everything from yesterday came back to me and I clutched my chest, regaining my composure. He was so unfamiliar without his glasses... in fact, he looked _so_ much better...

"Edward," I gasped. "Sorry! I forgot you were here!"

He reached over and placed his glasses back on, blinking as if to focus on me. Something dawned on me suddenly, and I cringed.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry... I fell asleep on you!"

He snorted when I placed my head in my hands. "I'm so sorry! Ahh!"

"It's a-alright," he chuckled. "I was c-comfortable enough."

I couldn't help snickering to myself. "I promise you, tonight you'll be in a proper bed."

He raised his eyebrows and they shot up into his messy hair. I couldn't help staring for a bit; I was still alarmed by just how good he had looked without those glasses. They really didn't do his brilliant eyes any justice.

After a moment too long looking at him, I stood up, wincing at the thought of what I looked like. "Can I get you any breakfast?"

He stretched out and I heard a few of his joints click. "Maybe I'd b-better make it. We d-don't want another injury."

I looked down at my finger, forgetting what had previously happened. "Oh. Yeah. OK. If you're sure..."

He smiled, heading towards the kitchen. "I h-happen to have some fantastic c-culinary skills."

"Cullen's Culinary Skills," I smirked.

"Yup," he grinned back.

"Have you got a chef's hat?"

"U-Unfortunately, no. I l-left that at the flat."

"Darn," I joked, feigning disappointment. "Never mind."

With a final laugh and a smile that was nothing other than beautiful, he disappeared into the kitchen.

* * *

**Aww, bless.**

**Sorry to mention Doctor Who again but, for any fans of the show, the episode they were watching was Doomsday. It gets me everytime...**

**So I hope you liked the update. I'm aiming to get two more updates out before Christmas (10 days!!!)**

**Anyway, please review if you can!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Before you read this, I'd just like to point out that I have some pictures of nerdy Edward on my profile, so if you want to take a look it might help. Anyway! On with the update...**

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* * *

****That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Sixteen_

(3 weeks later)

The time flew by surprisingly quickly with Edward around and, before I knew it, Alice was having another session of chemotherapy.

She was a lot stronger about it this time around and coped incredibly well. The fact that only two more sessions awaited her probably made the mood a little more positive, not to mention her wedding being a few days away.

"Gosh, I can't believe I'm getting married!" she grinned. "I thought nobody would ever have me!"

Jasper nudged her gently in the ribs, smiling all the time.

"Have you got everything sorted?" I asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Did your parents get their invite in the post?"

"Yup. Edward was happy when he received his, as well," I added.

"How's it been living with him?" Jasper questioned and I once again had the familiar feeling I'd been getting around them lately. They always exchanged glances with each other and I swear that I saw them sharing winks on one occasion.

"It's been great," I replied honestly. "Edward's lovely."

That was an understatement. I'd had so many laughs and fun times with him over the weeks that I'd grown to actually love having him around. I thought back to a few days ago when I had received a phone call from the police.

"Hello?" I answered tentatively, smiling weakly when Edward gave me the thumbs up.

"Is this Bella Swan?" a deep voice asked.

"Yes..." I murmured, watching as Edward stood up to take a seat beside me. He watched my expression carefully and I chewed on my lip, waiting for the news.

"Well, Miss Swan, we're very pleased to tell you that Emmett Adams has been sentenced to a total of three years in jail."

I very nearly did a little celebratory dance there and then but settled for punching the air with my fist.

"Thanks," I gushed. "That's fantastic news."

"No problem," the man replied before hanging up.

I told Edward about the sentence and a brilliant smile spread across his face. Before I knew it, I was hugging him and bouncing around the room like a child over-fed with candy.

"I've been so worried about that," I breathed when we finally pulled apart. "It's such a relief... Thanks again for everything."

"S-Stop thanking me," he laughed. "I d-didn't do anything."

I was brought out of my thoughts by Alice's voice. "Thinking about Edward again?" she teased, quirking an eyebrow.

"No," I answered quickly, lying through my teeth. "I was just thinking about what I'm gonna have to put up with on the hen night."

She giggled. "Don't worry. There won't be any strippers or anything." I jokingly pouted. "No, it'll just be us two at the flat."

I frowned. "What should I do about Edward?"

"Can't you get rid of him for the night?"

"Alice," I warned. "He's not a dog."

She rolled her eyes.

"Maybe he could come along with us?"

I glanced over at Jasper, alarmed by his suggestion.

"It would be a laugh," he continued.

"He was an alcoholic," I told him. "Maybe it's not appropriate."

His eyes widened slightly but he nodded. I thought to myself. "I'm sure I'll think of something."

"And besides, we need to sort out a time for his makeover," Alice added.

"You're not seriously going through with that, are you?" I retorted, shaking my head in disbelief.

"I don't see why not. I'm sure he'll be willing..."

"Yeah, sure..." I muttered.

"Anyway, what are your plans for today?" she asked and I winced. This was even more fuel for her and Jasper; I was planning to spend the day with Edward and let him visit Mom and Dad. He was currently visiting his own parents, explaining the whole sitation about his flat. They'd just gotten back from their vacation and he believed that it was the perfect time to tell them.

I didn't know if they'd approve of me... but he had no-where else to stay at the moment, so there was no other option.

"Well," I said carefully. "I was thinking of introducing Edward to my parents."

Alice actually snorted this time and my face prickled from a sudden heat. "What's wrong with that?"

She recovered herself. "Sorry, it just sounds like you're a couple or something. How weird would that be?!"

I swallowed a few times, thinking of the idea. It seemed quite appealing to me...

My eyes widened at my thoughts and I shook my head, trying to forget Alice's influence. "Anyway, I'm gonna go now." I glanced at my watch; it was five minutes until the time that I'd agreed to meet Edward outside. Of course I wasn't going to tell them that...

"Have a nice time," she teased.

"Alice, the last time you said that, I ended up scalding myself."

"That was hardly my fault," she replied quietly.

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "I know. Sorry."

"So when will I see you next?"

"Probably tomorrow," I answered swiftly.

"Alright. Please remember to arrange the makeover with Edward."

With a final eye roll, I reluctantly agreed.

***

"So, what did your parents say?"

Edward's breathing faltered for a moment before he regained his composure. "They... um," he swallowed nervously. "They... they didn't s-say much."

"Oh really?" I asked skeptically, stopping behind some traffic. "I wonder why I'm not convinced."

"N-No, seriously, Bella, they didn't seem too opposed to the i-idea."

I simply raised my eyebrows, continuing to stare ahead.

"Are you sure your p-parents will w-want to meet m-me?" he asked suddenly and there was insecurity clear in his voice.

"It was their idea, Edward."

He shifted about a little in his seat. "Please, Edward, they are nice people. It'll be fine."

I pulled up into the drive and soon cut off the engine. The scene momentarily brought back some memories of the time when I'd returned here and I was alarmed at how long ago that seemed.

"You ready?" I asked.

He fumbled with his seatbelt, eventually managing to remove it. "I t-think so."

I unlocked the door of the house and we both stepped inside. It was literally seconds before I heard Mom and Dad's voice, and they soon emerged out of the lounge, pausing in front of us and staring at Edward.

"Hi," I murmured. There was silence.

"So, um," I cleared my throat. "Mom, Dad, this is Edward."

Nobody said anything for a few moments and Edward suddenly decided to step forward, holding out his hand.

"It's l-lovely to m-meet you," he said sincerely. "B-Bella's told me great things about you b-both."

Mom smiled immediately after this and I sighed in relief; he had won her over. It didn't really take much, thankfully.

"Edward, it's lovely to meet you too. I'm Renee and this is Charlie."

Dad nodded towards him and I gave him a stern look. He was studying Edward as though we were both teenagers coming home after a first date. Maybe Alice was right after all...

"We were sorry to hear about your flat," Mom continued. "Have you been back there since?"

Edward nodded. "I h-had a quick look a few days ago. They're re-decorating at the m-moment and I s-should be b-back in there in a f-few weeks."

"Oh, that's good, then," Mom smiled, glancing at me momentarily. "So, do you two want something to eat?"

We both exchanged a quick look. "If you wouldn't mind, Mom. I am quite hungry."

"You haven't changed much then, Bells," Dad teased, causing a blush to spread quickly across my face.

"Thanks," I murmured.

***

"T-That was lovely, thank you, Mrs Swan," Edward smiled, placing his plate gently onto the table. "Did you make it yourself?"

Mom nodded rigorously and I sighed, waiting for the story about the family recipe.

"I actually baked it this morning," she said proudly. "It's an old family recipe from a few centuries ago."

I nearly laughed at the look on Edward's face. "That's v-very impressive."

Mom looked unbelievably smug and I almost expected her to brush some dust off her shoulders. "Do you cook, Edward?"

"Oh, every n-now and then," he answered. "I p-prefer takeaways, to b-be honest."

Our eyes met and we exchanged a brief smile, remembering the pasta incident.

"So, we were actually thinking of having a clear out," Dad said suddenly after he finished off his piece of cake. Everybody turned to look at him in interest and surprise.

"Oh?" I asked, frowning a little.

"Yeah, the basement is way too crowded at the moment and there are always people out there in need of things."

I nodded. "OK. When are you gonna start?"

"Actually, we were going to take a look later today," Mom told us, looking as though she was debating something. "Maybe you'd like to help?"

My eyes moved to Edward and he actually looked enthusiastic. It did sound fun... "Do you want to?" I asked him. "I mean, if it's not too much trouble or anything..."

He shook his head. "Would you m-mind me taking a look? I'm naturally c-curious."

Mom laughed. "Of course not. We could do with an extra pair of hands. You'd better mind yourself though; there are plenty of cobwebs down there."

"I think I can c-cope," he replied with a chuckle.

"That's sorted then," Dad said, standing up. "Down to the basement we go..."

"Hi ho, hi ho," I murmured under my breath, earning another laugh from Edward.

***

"Gosh," I murmured, dusting some cobwebs off a pile of old records. "They really do have so much stuff down here... I never even knew."

To my left, Edward was coughing a little. "Are you alright?" I asked.

"Y-Yeah," he spluttered. "I'm f-fine."

"You don't sound it."

"It's j-just the dust."

I knelt down to take a look at some ancient furniture and soon noticed Edward's gaze being pulled towards a large object that was covered in an old cloth. I couldn't remember what it was and became naturally curious, as Edward would say, and promptly joined his side. The whole thing seemed incredibly mysterious.

"I have no idea what that is," I said. "Wanna take a look?"

His eyes lit up. "Of c-course."

We trekked over, Edward nearly losing his balance over a pile of boxes along the way. I was glad that he didn't trip over; he might not resurface above all this junk.

"I can't believe Mom and Dad gave up," I grumbled. "They were only down here for about ten minutes."

He laughed lightly. "Yes, w-well, it takes a lot of c-courage to look around here."

I smiled to myself and we eventually reached the strange object. We both gripped onto a piece of the cloth and looked at each other excitedly.

"Ready?"

He nodded and we both pulled off the cloth, revealing a dusty old piano. I felt a burst of disappointment, the complete opposite to Edward's reaction. He was staring at the instrument in amazement and his mouth was permanently fixed in a little o shape.

"It's b-beautiful," he murmured.

I watched him take a good look at it, sweeping some of the dust carefully off the cover. He lifted something up to reveal the dirty keys underneath; they were off colour and looked closer to brown than white. He delicately trailed his fingers along them, all the while shaking his head in disbelief.

"Do you play?" I asked after a while.

He looked up at me, almost seeming surprised that I was still there. "I used to when I was little, but the p-piano was t-taken away after a while." He stared ahead, looking reminiscent. "I h-haven't really come across one in years. I've m-missed playing."

I walked over to his side, taking a closer look. "I can't even remember Mom and Dad having this."

After a quick rummage around, I found the stool amongst a pile of boxes. "Why don't you play something?"

He glanced over at me hesitantly. "I-I haven't played in a w-while... I wouldn't be v-very good."

"It doesn't matter," I answered, placing the seat down. "Just improvise. I'm sure it'll be brilliant."

He smiled momentarily and I took a seat beside him. Our shoulders touched and I shivered lightly. His fingers hovered over the keys and I turned towards him, giving him an encouraging smile. His face was very close to mine and I was aware of my heartbeat thumping in my ears. After taking a deep breath, he began playing.

My eyes closed automatically when the beautiful, haunting music flooded the room. It echoed off the walls and caused every muscle in my body to relax. I watched his fingers effortlessly drifting alone and took a glance at his face. He was concentrating with his eyebrows pulled together slightly, but he looked over in my direction, smiling along with me.

After a time that I couldn't even begin to measure, the music drifted away and the last note hovered, slowly fading in the air.

"That was beautiful," I breathed. "You're wonderful." I wasn't just referring to his playing skills.

He smiled crookedly and my face flooded with heat. "It's b-been a while."

"Was that completely improvised?" I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Kind of."

"You're so modest."

He didn't reply and my eyes moved to the piano. "Do you want it?"

His eyes widened almost instantly. "The p-piano? Me?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "You can't waste your talent and my parents would only give it away anyway."

"B-But, I-" he trailed off. "I c-couldn't possibly-"

"Edward," I interrupted. "We'd all love you to have the piano. When your flat's done up you can keep it there."

He smiled briefly. "Thank you so m-much. It really means a l-lot."

My hand found its way to his. "No problem. You'll have to let me come over to hear you play, though."

"Of c-course."

I didn't want to drag my eyes away from his just yet and we ended up staring at each other for a long time. I might have imagined it, but his face seemed to edge slowly closer to mine, and the breath caught in my throat.

"Bella!" Mom called, ruining the moment and causing us both to jump apart. "Bella, are you two alright down there?"

"We're fine!" I yelled in irritation. "Do you want to go now?" I asked Edward quietly.

He nodded, looking a little dazed. "Y-Yeah. If y-you like."

"I promise you, this piano is reserved for a Mr Edward Cullen."

He smirked, something which I loved. "Good."

***

Edward and myself were sat quietly in front of the TV later that day, and the topic of Alice and her makeover soon drifted into my mind. I didn't know whether I should just tell him; I was worried about his feelings and what he would think.

Then again, it was Alice's wish and I could bend the truth a little...

I eventually pulled my eyes away from the screen and looked over at Edward nervously. He noticed my gaze and frowned. "Is s-something wrong, Bella?"

"Nothing's wrong, it's just..." I chewed on my thumb nail, thinking of how to word my thoughts. "Well, Alice wants to prepare things for the wedding."

He nodded. "That sounds f-fair."

"And..." I winced, fearful of how this would sound. "She wants to give most of the guests a makeover."

I held my breath, waiting for his reaction. To my surprise, he smiled. "That s-sounds interesting."

"Does it?" I frowned.

"Yeah," he grinned. "I'm assuming it includes m-me, too."

I nodded. "Yeah. Are you up for it?"

He considered this for a moment. "Y-Yes. I think I am."

"I'm really sorry about it, Alice can be quite rude sometimes," I babbled. "She's just-"

"It r-really is alright, Bella," he interrupted, smiling in amusement. "I think I n-need a makeover. I'm r-really u-up for it, actually."

I couldn't help smiling back at him. "She won't go easy on you, y'know."

"I g-guessed that. But I'm n-not the one who has to g-go to her hen p-party."

I placed my head in my hands, groaning loudly. "Don't remind me."

* * *

**I'm sorry if this chapter is a bit... filler-y but it needs to be done. The wedding's in two chapter's time now. Yay!**

**Anyway, this'll be the last update before Christmas so I hope you all have a lovely time! Sometime next week I'll update again and will hopefully have another new story up. **

**Reviews would make a lovely present...**


	17. Chapter 17

**That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Seventeen_

(A few days later)

Edward had agreed to leave the flat the day before the wedding, claiming he had "something to do anyway." I felt a little guilty about forcing him out but he seemed happy enough, wishing us a good time.

Alice came over from the hospital at about 5pm and was incredibly relieved to be back out in civilisation.

"This is so weird," she murmured, closing the door behind her. "It hasn't changed a bit."

"Did you expect it to?" I laughed, handing her some coffee as we both took a seat.

"I guess not," she admitted, still looking around. "Although that stash of Doctor Who DVDs over there is looking oddly suspicious."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, Edward and myself have been working our way through them."

There it was again; that little look in her eyes. It made me feel a little uneasy and I couldn't look at her for long.

"When are you giving him this famous makeover, then?" I asked, resisting the urge to moan a little.

"Later tonight," she answered, grinning. "He agree to come over especially for me."

My eyebrows raised. "Is Jasper gonna be there?"

"No, he's out on his stag party. I'm guessing that Edward will be staying over his parents' house when I'm finished with him."

"I wonder what they'll think..." I paused. "You know, he could have just come over back here."

"No! We wanted it to be a surprise for tomorrow."

"You mean you wanted it to be a surprise."

"Well..." she giggled.

"Hmph."

"It'll be worth it, Bells, I promise," she winked.

I mumbled something in response but couldn't help feeling curious at the same time.

"So, do you think you're ready for tomorrow?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant about the previous subject.

"Just about," she grinned.

"Just about?" I repeated wearily.

"Well, yeah," she shrugged. "You can never be fully ready for your wedding day. It's something that'll probably only ever happen once in my life."

I nodded numbly, knowing exactly how she was feeling.

"Are you feeling OK with the whole chemotherapy thing?" I was keen to keep the conversation going; it stopped giving me too much time to think.

"Yeah, I'm really positive about it all now," she smiled. "I was really scared at first, but having Jasper and you there really did help me." She sounded a little choked and paused for a moment. "I don't know if I could have made it through without you both."

I smiled back tentatively. "It wasn't just us... you were really strong during it."

"And if you're with me until the end, I'm sure I'll get through it."

That thought was a little daunting but I nodded, feeling quite optimistic. After all, the doctors had said that Alice's chances of surviving were incredibly high.

"I didn't really mean to bring all that up, I just needed to know really," I said. "I hope it's not gonna ruin your wedding."

"It won't," she replied firmly. "I want it to be like a normal day."

"As normal as it can be," I laughed.

We sat in silence for a while, drinking our coffee and thinking to ourselves. It wasn't long, however, before Alice started talking again.

"Bells, we really need to talk about you and Edward."

I shifted about uncomfortably, a little alarmed by how direct she was being. Maybe I was just over-reacting and this would be something completely innocent. "Do we?"

She nodded frantically, clearly not accepting my attempted nonchalance. "Yes we do."

"Why?" was my pathetic response. This was _not_ what I wanted to happen...

Alice leaned towards me and I suddenly felt incredibly nervous. I didn't want to confront these emotions... I wasn't ready. I probably wouldn't ever be.

The picture of David opposite the room seemed to burn a hole into me. My eyes were dragged towards him and I smiled faintly at the sight of his face.

"Bells," Alice said softly, moving my gaze back towards her. "I'm not forcing you. I just think it's best if you set your feelings straight."

I placed my head in my hands, sensing that the barrier I'd placed up in my mind was gradually crumbling away. I really didn't want to face whatever it was I'd hidden away; I felt shame and guilt and fear.

I was becoming defenceless.

I slowly closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Over the past few months I hadn't really had any time to think, but now... I was being forced to. I couldn't stop it anymore.

How did I _really_ feel about Edward? I could picture his face clearly in my mind and smiled automatically at the thought. He'd really helped me through the hard times and I'd formed a unique bond with him. I felt comfortable around him now and loved his company. He was kind and caring, everything that I wanted in a friend.

Did I want to be more than friends, though?

He made me smile, made me forget sometimes. Being away from him actually made me strangely anxious and the very sound of his voice, despite the small stutter, was soothing for me.

We had confided in each other. I never thought he'd be the first person I'd share my past about, yet he was. And he'd told me about his accident and the problem he had with alcohol.

Those aren't the kind of things you share with an ordinary person. I really did trust him.

I liked living with him... I jumped at the opportunity when his flat burnt. I wanted to spend more time with him.

I remembered how I'd felt when he was attacked by Emmett. I felt physically sick thinking of him being hurt... Also, talking with him in the cafe brought me happiness and sharing the texts. His support for Alice was wonderful and my parents liked him.

There had been one moment, though, which I was still unsure about. Down in my parents' basement, something had happened... I didn't know what. I remembered feeling irritated and frustrated when Mom had interrupted us. We had been leaning slowly closer together, only sitting inches apart from each other...

On top of that, I actually fell asleep on him. I wasn't sure if _that_ meant anything...

I blinked rapidly and rubbed at my eyes.

"Bella?" Alice's quiet voice made me look up. "Tell me."

"But... but I just feel so guilty," I whispered.

"What for?"

I nearly scoffed. "There are so many things, Alice. They may not be so obvious to you, but for me..." I trailed off, shuddering. "It's awful."

"Tell me."

She placed her hand on mine and I knew all my secrets were going to spill out tonight. It was inevitable.

I took a deep breath. "Al, I... I lied to you about David."

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

This story of mine had been re-told too many times lately and it grew progressively worse each time. I thought it would have gotten better, but each time the pain was just as raw. It was like re-living the whole thing again.

And now knowing of what I_ could_ feel towards Edward... well, it made it all even more worse.

But I had to drag it all up. Alice was the only person close to me who didn't know now. It was only fair.

"He wasn't what I told you," I began. "He... he wasn't just a drunken mistake. He was so much more than that." I didn't like my use of the past tense, so added, "He still is."

She didn't say anything so I slowly continued. "He was my first true love and... and during our honeymoon, he..." I broke off and took a deep breath. "He was m-murdered."

Her hand flew up to cover her mouth.

"I'm... I'm s-sorry that I never told you... I c-couldn't. I just couldn't..." I trailed off with an aching throat.

"What happened, Bells?" Alice asked quietly, the shock still etched onto her face.

"A robber came into our apartment and killed him with a knife," I said quickly. "I tried to help him but he... he-"

I couldn't say anymore.

"Oh, Bells," Alice sighed, reaching over to hug me. I leaned into her shoulder, letting myself cry. At least she knew now and I did feel some weight being lifted off my shoulders. She didn't seem too angry about me keeping it from her and I hoped she understood how I was feeling now.

"I'm really s-sorry I didn't tell you," I murmured. "I-"

"I understand Bella," she said sincerely and I was flooded with relief.

After a moment, we pulled apart. "Bells, please tell me how you feel about Edward."

The relief was short lived.

I didn't want to face my emotions. I really, _really _didn't.

"Al, I-" My voice trailed off as I shook my head.

"It'll help. It really will."

"But I don't know!" I protested. "I'm still confused about it all!"

"You've been in love before," she continued. "You know what it's like... is it like that again now?"

I placed my head in my hands. Her questions were probing and personal, yet they needed to be asked. I really needed to think to myself.

Did I love Edward?

I thought quietly, comparing it to David. I felt horrible for doing so, but it was the only way to sort out the mess in my head. I was so confused, feeling a mixture of guilt and pain and hope.

Then, with a staggering force, it suddenly hit me. My breath quickened and I raised my head up, staring at Alice.

"I-" My voice was strangely croaky. "Alice, I t-think I'm falling for him."

The words hung in the air as the realisation flooded through me.

Oh God.

What I'd said to Alice was a lie. I'd already fallen for him. I'd fallen hard.

I was suddenly crying, feeling overwhelmed all over again. I never thought I'd fall in love again, but I had. I had no control whatsoever and I'd tripped and stumbled over my feelings, completely falling for Edward.

I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed before. What was wrong with me?

"Bells," Alice smiled. "That's really good news."

"Is it?" I retorted. "But-"

"I know you feel guilty about David." I automatically winced at his name. "But... well, I know you won't replace him, but Edward... he will help you."

I frowned suddenly. "I thought you didn't like him."

She shrugged. "He's growing on me."

"Yeah..." I murmured. "He does that."

At first I hated him, thinking that he was an inconvenience, a nerd.

Now... now I hated to think about him being away from me. I hadn't even noticed what was happening because of everything going on in my life but now, well... I was now absolutely positive about three things.

First, Edward was most definitely not a nerd. He was a wonderful, amazing person, and I couldn't believe it had taken me so long to realise that.

Second, I couldn't bear thinking of my life with him. Just him being away from him tonight was making me a little anxious, and I couldn't help wondering if he was alright at the moment. I considered taking out my phone and giving him a quick call...

The third thing was that I'd gone and fallen unconditionally in love with him, and this scared me more than I could even believe.

How things change...

"What am I gonna do, Al?" I asked, feeling a little bright eyed at my new found feelings. "It's... it's all a mess..."

She wiggled her eyebrows a little suspiciously. "Well, I'll be spending some time with Edward later tonight... I'll see what I can do."

"Oh God, no, Alice, please don't tell him what I just told you!"

She waved her hands around. "No, no, don't worry. I'm not_ that_ mean. No, I'll let the path of true love run it's course."

I huffed. "He might not even feel the same way... I could just be making a fool out of myself." That and readily setting myself up for even more heartbreak.

"Don't be silly," she laughed.

I suddenly felt really tired after tonight and I think Alice felt the same way. "Well, Bells, I don't mean to be a party pooper, but I'm exhausted and really do have other things to do."

"Me too," I sighed, adding a yawn for effect. "Sorry for interrupting your schedule."

"Shut up," she laughed. "It was brief but I'm glad we talked. It's been a long time. I really am so sorry to hear about David."

"I'm glad you know now," I answered quickly.

"And sorry for mis-treating Edward sometimes, I had no idea that you... well..." she grinned.

"I think you did, Al. You knew before me... I saw you and Jasper exchanging those looks at the hospital."

She smirked. "Well... we had an inkling... just wait till I tell him!"

"Yeah, well," I rubbed at my forehead. "Nothing's happened yet."

She put on her coat and headed towards the door. "Exactly. Nothing _yet._"

"What time are you gonna be back tonight?" I asked.

"Well this makeover will take a long time so... I'd say a few hours."

I was a little wary but excited at the same time. If I already liked Edward now, how was I going to feel when he'd had his makeover? I shivered in anticipation but soon felt bad for feeling this way.

"Tomorrow's going to be so fantastic," she smiled. "Not just because of the fact that I'm getting married, but also because you and Edward are finally gonna realise how much you love each other!"

I couldn't help squirming.

"No, seriously, Bells," Alice continued. "You'll be looking beautiful. Well, not that you don't usually. Anyway, Edward will be head over heels when he sees you... and when you see him..." she practically squealed in delight. "Gosh, I can't wait. I'm gonna take my camera to take some photos of your faces!"

I squirmed even more. "Alice, you and Jasper are more important at the moment, don't you forget that."

"I won't," she grinned. "But you're finally gonna find some happiness. It's going to be brilliant!"

She had so much faith that it would all go well. Why didn't I feel the same way?

"See you later," I said, opening the door for her.

With a wave, she disappeared.

***

A few hours later, I was sat up in bed, unable to sleep. My mind was whirling around in circles and I still couldn't believe what had happened earlier.

Alice had returned earlier, practically bouncing up and down. She told me that Edward was looking fantastic and that I would be, quote, "positively dazzled." I felt really excited and just knew I wouldn't be able to close my eyes tonight.

And here I am.

I had been going around in the same cycle, feeling hope and then guilt, thinking back to David. I kept telling myself that he'd want me to move on and find love, but it wasn't quite sticking in my mind.

Besides, it could all go horribly wrong yet...

I rolled over and pressed my head onto the pillow, wondering how Edward was feeling. I thought about what Alice had said to him. I thought about what he would now look like. I thought about what would happen tomorrow.

Gah, my mind was on overdrive!

I then thought about what Alice and Jasper were feeling. I knew of the happiness when it came to just thinking about marrying, but also remembered how nervous I felt on the night before. I was so worried about things going wrong...

My panic was justified the following day.

I shook my head and closed my eyes, still imagining Edward and then David, then back to Edward... they slowly morphed into each other and I eventually drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

But that wasn't an escape from my worries. I started dreaming.

I was walking along a long corridor and it looked white and clean like a hospital. That made sense, considering the amount of time I'd been spending in them lately.

I kept continuously moving forwards and the path seemed neverending. I looked around but the walls were just blank and dull. My gaze moved in front of me and I suddenly noticed a figure in the distance.

I ran forwards, then, and my breath caught as I recognised the figure. It was David.

"It's you," I whispered, unable to stop my teary eyes from overflowing.

"Yes," he smiled. He held out his arms but, for some horrible reason, I couldn't reach him and just stood a few metres away from him, only able to take in his beauty.

"I still love you," I murmured.

"I know, Bells. And I love you, too. I always will."

I closed my eyes briefly and suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. My eyes snapped opened and I gasped again, for Edward was now here, smiling at me. His touch brought warmth throughout my body and I reached out to grip him.

"Edward..."

I turned over to David and saw him watching us. His expression was blank and guilt immediately flooded through me.

"David, I'm so-" I began, but he cut me off by holding up a hand.

"I want you to be happy, Bella," he smiled, and I knew he was being genuine. "Just know that I will always love you."

"But, I-"

With a final reassuring nod, he faded away, leaving Edward and myself standing there. We looked at eachother for a long time before I collapsed into him, hugging him with all the force I could manage.

I woke up with a start and stared ahead, trying to catch my breath.

I suddenly felt sure of myself; I knew now that David would be happy for me. I'd been stupid to think he wouldn't be.

Collapsing back into the pillows, I found myself unable to sleep again, anticipating the events of tomorrow.

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**I'm nervous about this chapter... but I hope you liked it!**

**Anyway, I hope you all had a great Christmas and received whatever it is that you wanted. :)**

**Please review if you can, it'll make Edward happy. Also, I have the next chapter already written up so that'll be up in 2/3 days. Woop!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Quick update because it's New Year! Enjoy!**

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****That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Eighteen_

I woke up the next morning feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement, along with a tiny bit of fear. I was _so_ happy for Alice and Jasper and couldn't wait until they were married, but the whole occasion was still a little raw for me.

But today wasn't all about me, so I just had to grin and bear it.

I rolled out of my bed and shuffled drowsily into the lounge. I wasn't too surprised that Alice was already wide awake; in fact, she was over by the sink, drinking a glass of water.

"Morning, bride-to-be," I grinned and she jumped a little at my presence.

"Bella!" she said shakily. "Oh God, Bells, I'm so worried!"

"Don't be," I replied softly. "It's the best day of your life."

"So far," she added under her breath and I smiled at her optimism.

"So, when do you wanna start getting ready?" I asked, preparing some bread in the toaster.

"As soon as possible, really. I'll be able to relax when we're all set to go."

"Alright then. We'll start as soon as I finish this toast. And stop biting your fingernails, please."

"Ugh, Bella," she moaned. "How can you even consider eating something? I feel like I'm gonna throw up at any moment."

"Thanks for that lovely image, Alice," I grumbled. "I'll surely enjoy my breakfast even more now."

She disappeared off into her room with an evil laugh.

***

"Alice," I breathed once she stepped out in front of me. "Gosh, you look so beautiful."

She had her wonderful wedding dress on, as well as a veil and a bunch of flowers. She was wearing a perfect wig that she'd picked out a few days ago and her make up complimented her skin, making her look breathtaking. She seemed alive and resilient, just like the old Alice.

Jasper was certainly a lucky man.

She walked closer towards me, twirling carefully. "Are you sure it's alright?"

I scoffed. "It's more than alright. It makes you look so... healthy!"

She smiled timidly. "Good." Her eyes swept down my body. "Bella, you look so lovely as well. That dress really suits you... I knew I had good taste."

I didn't want to sound self-loving or anything, but the dress Alice had picked for me was pretty brilliant. It was a dark blue sleeveless number, with a darker bow tied around my waist. It stopped just above my knees and, on my feet, I had dark shoes. I had gone to the trouble of curling my normally straight hair and Alice had smothered me in make up. On top of this, I was wearing a necklace that Mom had lent me, along with a handbag and bunch of flowers.

I felt a bit like a princess.

I could feel myself slowly beginning to get emotional. I took a deep breath and turned away, trying my hardest not to cry in front of Alice; that really wouldn't help matters.

Alice was clever though. She knew how I was feeling and spun me around to face her. "Oh, Bells," she murmured softly, pulling me close. "I should be the one crying, not you!"

I sniffed, wiping absently at my eyes. "I'm sorry. It's just... hard. I shouldn't be so selfish."

"Bella, anyone who knew what you've been through would understand."

I didn't say anything so Alice continued in her attempt at reassurance.

"I know you feel guilty over how you feel about Edward." I opened my mouth to protest but she quickly carried on. "Ssh, ssh. I know you do. But, Bells, it's been a while now since David." I winced at the name, like always. "I know it's tough to move on but... sometimes it needs to be done."

I felt awful at how everything was suddenly revolving around me again. "I don't want him to think that I've replaced him."

"He knows you wouldn't. He'd want you to be happy, anyway."

Before I could think too much about my dream last night, I drew out a long breath and shook my head. "We shouldn't be talking about this. It's your day."

"I want you to be happy as well, though."

I sighed again. "This is probably all ridiculous, anyway. Like I said, Edward probably doesn't even feel the same way anyway. It's stupid."

Alice snorted. "Bells, don't be so silly! We're going around in circles now... but anywho, just wait till you see what I've done to him!"

I couldn't help swallowing nervously.

"Now, remember, you need to stand outside and welcome everybody. That is if you don't mind... I'm sorry, but nobody else would be able to-"

"No, it's alright," I replied, trying to ignore how cold it looked through the window. The dark clouds in the sky looked a little threatening and I quickly prayed for a dry day. "That's fine."

"Thanks, Bells."

I took a quick glance at my watch. "Oh God. It's time to go."

Alice bit her lip and checked her reflection in the mirror. "How do I look?"

"I told you before," I said, rolling my eyes. "Amazing."

"I'm sorry that you couldn't come in the car with me," she said in a rush. "But there wasn't enough room and-"

"I know, it's no problem. I'll see you later."

She squealed and I rushed out the room, ready to go to the church.

***

It was really chilly outside, just like I'd expected; the wind kept whipping around my dress and I was beginning to feel like Marilyn Monroe. Not that that was a bad thing really...

I continued smiling at the people I didn't recognise as they all filtered into the church. I was beginning to wonder whether these people really knew Alice and Jasper; I hadn't recognised anybody so far. They could all be strangers, for all I knew. Wedding crashers.

Goosebumps were quickly spreading along my bare arms and I started shivering. It really was freezing and I was starting to feel a little fed up. Why did_ I_ have to stand out here and forcibly greet everyone? _And_ it had been sunny for weeks on end, yet it had suddenly turned cold on today of all days.

But, I wasn't going to moan. Much.

It was Alice's big day, after all, and I had agreed to do this. I just prayed that Alice would arrive soon. Jasper was already waiting in the church and was probably feeling nervous.

The time dragged by for about another half and hour, and I began staring at the pavement to amuse myself. Things were getting _that _bad. I frowned at the mud splats on my previously clean shoes, when suddenly a pair of black, leather ones came into my view. I slowly looked up to meet the person's face, plastering the forced smile onto my face. My eyes widened almost immediately.

Oh my _gosh_.

He was, undoubtably, the most handsome man I had ever seen, yet there was something strangely familiar about him. I couldn't quite place it.

I oggled for a while, taking in his cream skin and admiring his messy hair that was a wonderful but unusual shade of bronze. It was messy from the wind and was somehow still looking fantastic. He was wearing a tight fitting dark suit and a loosely done up tie, and I took in each crease of his shirt, staring shamelessly. He also wore a coat which drew my attention to his slim figure.

I then met his piercing green eyes and felt completely lost in them. It was at this moment that I frowned, and my heart skipped a few beats.

"Hello B-Bella," he said, suddenly smiling crookedly. I recognised the voice instantly.

Oh my goodness.

No... No it couldn't be...

But it was.

It was Edward.

_Ohmylord_.

I realised that my breathing was uneven and laughed nervously in a pathetic attempt to disguise this. I was just in complete disbelief. I knew that it was a task letting Alice give him a little makeover, but I'd never expected this...

He was just... _wow._

His glasses had clearly covered up most of his face before and, now that he was free from them, he was just beautiful. Completely and utterly beautiful.

His hair that was usually combed down was now wild and just brilliant. His eyes were dazzling.

Well, it just goes to show that miracles do happen.

I shook my head to myself; just thinking of how I felt about Edward a few weeks ago compared to now... it was almost laughable.

"Hi E-Edward," I eventually managed. "You... you look nice!"

Understatement of the century.

He smiled adorably and my heart could have quite literally melted. "You look b-beautiful Bella."

I felt my cheeks flushing from a mixture of happiness and embarrassment.

"Thanks," I mumbled quietly. I was alarmed to see him staring at me, and couldn't deny that I felt secretly pleased. Carlisle's words suddenly echoed in my mind.

_"Edward really likes you."_

I winced to myself at thinking about this. My thoughts kept turning back to David and what he would think... it made me ache a tiny bit with guilt. But, despite this, I couldn't forget the dream I'd had last night.

"How are y-you anyway?" he asked. "This must be h-hard for you..."

I flooded with warmth at his thoughtfulness. He really was just so darn perfect...

_Stop it Bella, you're daydreaming again... he's waiting for a reply for God's sake!_

"I'm good, thank you," I replied. "Alice is better and that's all that counts really." I paused for a moment. "How are you? How's the flat?"

He smiled a little and I didn't quite know why. "It seems alright, t-thank you. I'm looking f-forward to having the p-piano in there."

I felt a strange pang of sadness knowing that Edward would be back at his own flat soon; I'd gotten used to having him around. Would that mean he'd have to leave me? But then I'd never get a chance to-

"So, when's A-Alice arriving?" he asked, keeping his gaze on me. I glanced over his shoulder, shivering a little.

"I'm not sure... What I am sure of, though, is that she'll be fashionably late."

He chuckled, unbuttoning his coat. _Don't stare, Bella. Do not stare..._

"You look c-cold," he said, handing me the coat. "Wear this."

I smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you."

He helped me slip into the sleeves and there was an immediate comforting smell from the fabric. I inhaled deeply and sighed contentedly.

"Ah... nice and warm now."

He simply smiled.

I now knew that the conversation I'd had with Alice during her hen night was completely true. I was in love with him. Helplessly so. In fact, I'd fallen even more in love with him over the course of five minutes. I'd fallen for his personality before, but now he was beautiful on the outside, too. I was slowly running out of adjectives and there honestly weren't enough of them to describe him.

I sighed and was just opening my mouth to say something else, when Alice suddenly appeared in her car and made her grand entrance.

"Oh, I'd b-better go inside," Edward said, heading towards the doors.

"OK," I replied, my gaze lingering on him. "See you later."

"Will do."

He smiled and left me shivering after him, not just from the cold.

"Hi Bella!"

Alice was practically bouncing next to me and she must have noticed my expression because she grinned knowingly. "You've seen Edward, then?"

I sighed. "Yes."

"And?"

"Unbelievable," I murmured.

"Told you so."

"Gosh, Alice, I expected you to sound smug."

Organ music suddenly echoed around the church and we both took a deep breath. "Ready?" I asked.

"Definitely."

***

The wedding had gone swimmingly and I'd never seen Alice looking so happy. Her face was full of bliss when their vows finished and, after kissing Jasper, tears were streaming down everybody's faces. Edward was sat next to me and helpfully handed me a tissue, a gesture which somehow managed to take my breath away.

During the party afterwards, everybody was still having a fantastic time. Edward and myself had danced a little and walked outside together, taking a breather from all the noise.

We both sat down on the bench, laughing like a pair of teenagers.

"You really do have some killer dance moves," I giggled, thinking back to Edward's kind-of-shimmy. He looked like a robot and, after a few moments, people had seemed to follow the trend. There was soon a dancefloor full of people dancing like... well, idiots would be the correct word.

But Edward was a beautiful idiot.

"K-Killer as in they made everyone evacuate the d-dancefloor?" he asked, chuckling to himself.

The music from the party was still ringing in my ears, yet I was still very aware of my heart thumping rapidly. There had been another moment earlier... I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, but I did feel a spark. There was definitely _something _there. Or maybe I was hoping that there was. I couldn't even bear thinking of Edward rejecting me. I didn't know if I'd survive another broken heart. It had only just about healed and now, if it became hurt again, I don't think I'd ever recover.

"W-What are you thinking about?" he suddenly asked, causing me to start a little.

"I'm just picturing you dancing," I lied, causing him to smirk. Darn, I loved that.

We locked eye contact at that moment, and I suddenly found it very, _very _hard to breathe. As I stared into the wonderful pools of emerald, I found myself reflecting back on all of our experiences together. So much had brought us closer as friends, but now... I knew I was being greedy, but I definitely wanted to be more than friends.

Alice had someone now. Someone who she loved.

I needed someone to care for me because, due to my past, I was damaged.

I needed Edward.

I was afraid my eyes had betrayed what I was thinking, but I could see Edward's pupils dilating a little, and felt a small thrill pass through me.

My gaze was constantly being pulled towards his lips. His beautiful lips. Was it just me, or were they closer to me? Within my reach?

I stared at Edward intensely, and I noticed how he edged his body closer to me. His breath was fanning my face, and it felt like it was just us two together in our own perfect little world.

Gosh, I sounded cheesy. Guess that's what love does to you... There really was no point in denying it anymore, I really did love him. So, so much.

"Edward." I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. This could be a big moment of my life and I didn't want to mess it up. "I..."

The words wouldn't come out of my mouth; they sort of became stuck in my throat and lodged themselves there. But I needed to tell him before I made a bigger fool of myself.

"Edward," I repeated. "Edward... I-" I trailed off out of fear. I closed my eyes and blurted out my thoughts in a rush. "Edward, I... I... I think have feelings for... for _somebody_." I couldn't say his name, I wasn't strong enough.

His body turned rigid in a split second and an emotion flickered across his eyes. I knew I'd done the wrong thing because he sat back, looking at me a little sadly.

"I think I've fallen in love with..." I continued, trying to ignore the effect his expression was having on me. "I-"

My unspoken words hung in the air and, during that moment, he looked so sad that I felt my throat tighten.

I'm guessing he didn't return the feelings. It felt like I was going to shatter at any moment. It had taken me a lot of effort to realise how I felt and now... now it was all going to waste.

"B-Bella, I-" His words were shaky and I panicked when he suddenly stood up. "I'd... I'm... I'd b-better go."

I watched as he hastily walked away and I leapt up after him, calling his name. He didn't bother to turn around and talk to me.

My heart splintered into hundreds of pieces at that moment.

I collapsed back down onto the ground, holding my head in my hands. I'd completely ruined everything. I'd been so, _so _stupid thinking that he felt the same way. I cringed to myself in disbelief at how foolish I was. I should have listened to myself.

I suddenly felt a pair of arms around my shoulders and briefly hoped it would be Edward but, when I glanced up, it was Alice.

"Bella," she murmured quietly. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"Oh, Alice," I sobbed, telling her everything that had happened. It was tough but, when I had finished, she looked incredulous.

"Bella! God, why didn't you tell him you were in love with _him_?"

"I did!" I frowned. "I told him."

"No," she sighed heavily. "You told me that you said you had feelings for 'somebody!' He probably thinks you meant somebody else!"

My whole body went cold in realisation. I was the human version of stupid.

"W-What?" I murmured.

"Bella, I know he feels the same way," Alice sighed. "I-" she trailed off.

"What?"

"I... I, well, I sort of... made him tell me."

"Alice!" I shrieked, feeling my face redden.

"I know, I know, but you have to admit that you're happy about it..."

I couldn't quite manage a smile.

"All you have to do now is find Edward and tell him!"

"But... but I don't know where he's gone!" I spluttered.

"A likely guess would be the flat," Alice replied calmly.

I bit my lip hesitantly.

"I don't mind you leaving, Bells. I've had a brilliant day. I can't believe you sometimes, though! Why couldn't you just tell him straight?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, feeling incredibly foolish. Playing back the conversation in my mind, it must have sounded bad.

"Anyway, you need to find him."

I nodded to myself, feeling a rush of exhiliration. I knew Alice had told me about his feelings but I wouldn't believe it until he said it himself.

"Go," Alice said, giving me an encouraging smile.

I hugged her and rushed off into the distance, praying that Edward hadn't done anything stupid, like me.

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**Silly Bella!**

**I hope you liked that... the story's coming to an end now with just one more chapter and an epilogue left, so it seems like a good time to please leave a review.**

**Also, somebody said something about Bella loving Edward just because of how he looks now... that's a good point, but she doesn't. Edward will realise that during the next chapter.**

**I was also wondering if you would like to see a little extra from Edward's POV, or would it ruin the mystery (?) about him? Just curious, because I'm not sure.**

**Anyway, happy new year! 2010 already... blimey!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Wow, I was a little overwhelmed with the response to the last chapter. Thank you all so much! It's really appreciated. On with the next chapter...**

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****That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Chapter Nineteen_

I rushed forwards out of the church and hailed a taxi as quickly as I could. None decided to turn up for a long time and I cringed to myself, running up and down the pavement in desperation. I'd been so, _so _stupid! Thinking back to the conversation with Edward made me wince; I just couldn't believe I'd been so cowardly. If I'd have just said his name rather than chickening out and muttering 'somebody,' this silly mess wouldn't be happening...

"Ooh! Taxi! _Taxi_!"

I flung the door open and barked my destination to the driver, pleading with him to move as fast as he could. His response was a low grunt and I focused on slowing my breathing before I hyperventilated or something.

When we stopped at a pair of traffic lights I was nearly leaping out of my seat in frustration. I personally wanted the driver to run straight through them but managed to keep calm and, after an agonising minute or two, the lights flickered to green and we continued forwards.

How long had it been since I had last talked to Edward? I peeked at the clock on the dashboard; oh God, it must have been about fifteen minutes ago now.

He could have done so much in fifteen minutes.

I was trying very hard not to vomit when we took the last corner to my flat. I quickly gathered some money from my handbag and threw it into the driver's face as soon as the car stopped. He muttered something incoherent as I leapt out of the door and I vaguely wondered what he thought of me. I must have looked like some kind of mad woman.

I raced up the steps to the flat, once again cursing about the lack of an elevator. There was a sore ache in my chest, yet I continued forwards, losing a shoe in the process.

Once I reached the last flight of stairs I felt a sudden surge of panic; what was I going to say to him? Would he even be here?

I stopped outside the door and took a long, deep breath. It was a little overwhelming thinking of what could or couldn't happen, but I reached for my key and slowly turned the handle with shaking hands.

As soon as I peeked inside, I knew that Edward was there. His coat was lying messily over the sofa and I glanced over at his room, seeing a suitcase by the door.

Oh no. Oh no, no, _no._

I slammed the door behind me and rushed into the room in a frenzy and, sure enough, Edward was there standing by his cupboard. He was fumbling around with clothes and throwing them into another case that was lying open on the bed. He clearly didn't care about the state he was making, he was just being as speedy as possible, trying to get away from me.

That thought made me feel strangely ill.

He hadn't even noticed me so I cleared my throat nervously, causing him to jump and turn around jerkily as though he had been caught doing something wrong.

His face turned slowly from surprise to sadness as he recognised me, and my heart broke because of it.

"Edward," I murmured, trying to catch my breath. "Edward, w-what are you doing?"

He turned around with his back to me and continued collecting his clothes and, feeling painfully frustrated, I walked over towards him and placed my hand on his shoulder. "Edward!"

A sigh escaped his lips and he didn't meet my eyes. "W-What does it look like I'm doing, Bella?"

His blunt response really cut through me.

"But... but why?" I asked frantically. "You don't n-need to leave! This is your h-home now!"

He stopped what he was doing and faced me. His striking green eyes still caused me to shiver, but the coldness in them was overpowering.

"I d-do, B-Bella," he said, visibly wincing when he murmured my name. "I... I can't s-stay here anymore."

"Why not?" I whispered.

He didn't answer, just looked at the floor.

"Edward, we need to talk," I eventually managed. No response. "_Please_?"

I was practically begging him and for a while he remained unbearably silent. He eventually swallowed and, looking a little lost, nodded once.

"Shall we sit down s-somewhere?" I offered, fearing that my legs would soon give way underneath me. I'd never felt so worried and plain terrified in my life.

He shrugged and I moved his suitcase over so that we could sit together on the edge of the bed. He was rigid and his eyes couldn't seem to meet mine.

It reminded me vaguely of our first encounter.

I took a deep breath, knowing what I had to do. There really was no other way around it but to admit my feelings to him and get it other with. Despite what Alice had said, this filled me with fear and the thought of rejection was dominating my mind.

_So_ much could go wrong.

But, there was still a chance and it was well worth taking.

"Edward," I sighed, loving his name. "I... I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding."

I waited for a reply but he didn't move; he was as still as a statue.

"Well," I continued, aware of my shaking hands. "Well, w-what I was trying to say was... was-" I trailed off, unable to make any words escape from my lips. It was incredibly irritating; I just had to say it. It wasn't difficult...

Scratch that. It was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do.

During this internal debate, Edward still hadn't given any indication that he was bothered or even listening to me. He looked really uncomfortable and that he would much rather be someplace else right now.

_For God's sake, Bella, spit it out._

"When I s-said I was falling for s-s-somebody, I meant... I-"

He looked at me then, and I suddenly gained the strength to tell him.

"I meant y-you, Edward," I said quickly, closing my eyes and waiting for a reaction. I couldn't even breathe.

He was silent for a very long time and, when I eventually gained the strength to look at him, his eyes were wide and yet the sadness was still there. I wanted it to leave... I wanted him to be happy and be the Edward that I'd gotten to know and love.

"N-No, you d-don't mean that," he murmured quietly, surprising me.

I frowned at him. "What?"

"You don't m-mean it," he repeated. "You... you haven't f-fallen for m-me."

I felt like banging my head against a brick wall. "Edward, I t-told you that I-"

"N-No, Bella," he sighed. "It's only b-because of how I look n-now."

I shook my head frantically. "No, Edward, I-"

"You've only said it after this _m-makeover_," he airquoted, "and that's the r-reason that you_ think_ you l-like me, because of m-my appearance."

I was completely shocked. I couldn't believe he thought that of me.

"No... no, Edward, that's not true. Not true _at all_. It wasn't just because of what Alice did. Sure, it was a contributing factor, but not the only reason why..." I took a deep breath. "It's taken me so long to realise because... well, I've been in denial." He watched me carefully. "I've had so much happening in my life over the past few months that I never realised what was staring me in the face; I was slowly falling in love with you."

I paused for a moment, scared of what he might be thinking right now. "When I realised how I felt, I was terrified of what D-David would think of me. I didn't want people to think that I'd just forgotten him and moved on because that really, _really_ is not the case. It was so tough but... but when I thought about it, I realised how much I need you in my life."

I felt incredibly vulnerable admitting all of this but I looked at him at that moment, and he seemed bewildered. I had to continue, though... I still had so much more to say.

"You've always been there for me and I took it for granted... but you really helped me and..." I trailed off, feeling my face prickle. "And now I've realised that I've f-fallen for you."

I stared at my hands for a long time and the silence felt louder than ever. I couldn't bear it and nearly walked away right then out of embarrassment. But, to my surprise, Edward suddenly spoke.

"Bella," he murmured. "I... I n-never knew."

I couldn't reply.

"Alice t-talked to me yesterday," he continued.

I peeked over at him and my heart began pounding fiercely when I noticed his eyes looking softer.

"She asked m-me how I f-felt about you."

My heart was thumping so hard now that I feared he'd be able to hear it.

"And what did you say?" I murmured quietly.

He paused for a moment, then said, "B-Bella, you're such a wonderful person."

I raised my eyebrows. "That's not the answer to my question."

He grinned. "The point still s-stands."

I rolled my eyes. "This is silly, Edward."

He looked at me closely and his gaze made me skin tingle. "You don't b-believe me, do you?"

I shook my head automatically.

"Why n-not?" he asked, persevering.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just... not."

"You really are so s-special, Bella," he sighed. "I can't believe you d-don't see that."

I snorted in disagreement. "I'm far from special, Edward. I'm just an average person with a dodgy handful of baggage."

He looked genuinally shocked at my reaction and I heard him take in a deep breath. "Bella, first of all you're so incredibly s-selfless. Throughout Alice's experience you've b-been there for her, showing your s-support and generally being f-fantastic." I felt myself blush at that, but he wasn't finished yet. "Secondly, you're b-brave. You faced up to Emmett," I tried to interrupt but he waved his hand around, "you shared your p-past with your parents, which must have b-been incredibly tough... I admire you f-for that. And you gave up your old j-job, something that you were clearly uncomfortable d-doing. Yet, you still d-did it."

I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off, continuing, "And finally, you always look w-wonderful."

Naturally, another scoff escaped out of my mouth and he groaned in protest. "B-Bella, you have the m-most beautiful eyes I have ever seen, your hair is always immaculate... I can't tell you the amount of times I've admired it." I felt myself flushing once more. "And, the w-worrying thing is, you genuinally don't b-believe that, do you? You don't realise how brilliant you are, and B-Bella," he paused, giving me a meaningful look, "that makes you fantastic. That's why you're beautiful."

I couldn't understand why, but I was suddenly crying. Tears flowed down my cheeks and he leaned closer towards me, tenderly wiping them away. His simple touch caused me to shiver.

He was so incredibly near to me right now; I could feel his unsteady breath on my face.

"S-So what did you tell Alice?" I managed, my voice shaking wildly.

He smiled at me, taking his time to answer. "I t-told her that I l-loved you, Bella."

Warmth flooded me and I was momentarily staggered before the thrill of what he had just said registered in my brain.

He loved me. Edward loved _me._

We looked at each other for a long time and there was overwhelming feeling that suddenly convinced me I was doing the right thing. Edward started leaning forwards, agonisingly slowly, and the space between us eventually closed. After what felt like a lifetime, his cold lips pressed onto mine and ignited a fierce heat within me. My whole body wanted him, and I relished in the fact that his arms were pulling me closer. So many emotions were boiling within me, and my mind was going into overdrive.

Our skin brushed and I felt myself tingling. This seemed so right, so perfect.

I knew that David would be happy for me; I knew he wanted me to find love, and it looked like this was what I was doing.

I ran my hands through his hair, desperately trying to press him closer to me. My thoughts were jumbled in a daze of happiness and disbelief.

Edward's kiss was gentle and yet there was an undeniable passion from the way his hands caressed my back. His taste froze my senses and I wanted nothing more than to be with him for the rest of my life.

To my surprise, tears soon began trailing down my cheeks again and Edward suddenly pulled away, cupping my face carefully. His expression was flushed and his eyes were wild, yet they were full of concern, and I shivered as he wiped away a tear with one of his fingers.

Amidst all this, I felt like he knew why I was upset; his face was a mixture of understanding and tenderness. He knew me so well.

He pulled me close to him and I closed my eyes, relaxing against the softness of the fabric of his clothes. His fingers trailed absently through my hair and I loved being so near to him. Never would I have imagined this happening a few weeks' ago.

"I'm s-sorry," I mumbled, pulling back to look up at him. "I'm just... I'm just... so h-happy right now."

His smile was breathtaking. "Me too, Bella."

He stroked my cheek as I stared into his eyes. This was right and I knew it. I usually had instincts about when something was wrong, but this just felt completely positive.

Maybe, after a tough year, I could finally be happy.

"I love you, B-Bella."

His voice was only a whisper but his breath tingled against my skin. I shivered lightly against him.

"I love you too, Edward."

"I n-never thought I'd find anybody," he breathed. "I thought I'd won the l-lottery when I first saw you."

I smiled a little.

We sat in silence for a long time and curiosity soon took over me. "When did you know?"

"Know w-what?"

"That..." I cringed, feeling a little awkward. "That you loved me."

He laughed. "I realised p-pretty soon, B-Bella. I was a bit worried at f-first because it seemed as though you w-weren't interested in me at all." I frowned to myself. "Yet, as w-we became closer friends, I knew I c-couldn't ignore it anymore."

My fingers wound around his.

"I told C-Carlisle when I realised."

I peeked up at him. "Really?"

"Y-Yeah," he sighed. "He wasn't too h-happy, knowing about your old j-job. But I managed to c-convince him that you were a g-good person. But I r-really do love you, Bella," he continued. "I'm so g-glad I found you."

He wasn't helping with my attempt to stop crying. I felt overwhelmed by his words and he kissed me once more.

"I can't believe I almost lost you," I murmured, shuddering at earlier.

"I know," he sighed. "I panicked a l-little." His gaze moved downwards and he smirked a little. "Where's your other s-shoe, Cinderella?"

A laugh escaped my lips. "Oh, I was in a bit of a rush... those stairs out there are lethal, you know that."

We were silent for a few moments before I asked, "Are you still staying with me, then?"

"Of c-course," he smiled. "That is if you still w-want me."

"I want you more than you could ever believe."

He grinned at that, pressing his beautiful lips onto mine once more. "We'd b-better get unpacking, then."

"Uh,_ you_ can," I teased. "I'm making myself some c-coffee... this whole experience has been incredibly draining."

I fanned myself and left the room, hearing his chuckle. I really couldn't remember the last time I had felt this happy and it was a little overwhelming for me. I'd completely forgotten what it felt like and now... now it was just brilliant.

The future suddenly seemed very bright.

* * *

**I hope you liked that! It's about time I think... one more epilogue to go to tie up the loose ends and then we're all done! I hope you don't think it's finishing a bit abruptly or anything, I just don't want to drag it out too much.**

**I'd just like to say thanks again to everyone who has supported this story - I really could hug each and every one of you. **

**A note on a new story I'll publishing very soon: It's called 'For Your Eyes Only' and it's another Bella/Edward story. I've just finished the first chapter and wanted to say, in case you were interested.**

**Anyway, please leave a review if you can, they're appreciated as always. :)**


	20. Epilogue

**That's Why You're Beautiful**

_Epilogue_

**_10 years later_**

Edward's fingers trailed over my own and, although we'd been together for a wonderfully long time now, it still sent shivers across my skin. He traced around my wedding ring and I smiled to myself at the memory of his proposal from eight years ago, even though it felt like just yesterday.

_We were both sat together in a restaurant a few miles out of town and the soft sound of classical music filled my ears. I closed my eyes and bopped my head along, soon feeling Edward's hand on mine. My eyes flew open and he was just smiling at me in his own lovely way._

_"I never knew you liked this type of m-music."_

_I laughed. "Neither did I. It was just nice to bop along to, I guess."_

_His lips turned into the grin that I loved. "How's the food?"_

_I twisted the fork in my fingers. "It's absolutely gorgeous!"_

_"Like you, then?"_

_I smirked. "Please don't compare me to my spaghetti; I don't really know how to take it!"_

_He reached for a sip of his water and I watched as his mouth met the glass. Gah, this really wasn't the time or the place... Despite my inappropriate thoughts, I still admired him; he hadn't touched any alcohol for years now and was always trying his hardest. He was such an inspiration to me._

_"How's it going at the office?" he asked._

_After finally giving up my previous job, I'd successfully managed to land a job working at a local company, basically doing admin stuff like typing up documents, stapling and photo copying documents. __It was mundane, yes, but I had some brilliant friends there and an even more brilliant partner to come home to. I liked feeling normal for once in my life._

_"It's been alright, I guess," I answered honestly. "About as exciting as working in an office can get."_

_"But it must be b-better than the other job," he observed._

_I nodded vigorously. "Yes. Most definitely."_

_I took another bite of my food, before asking, "How's the school?"_

_He smiled. "Brilliant. There are some really intelligent p-people there and it's always enjoyable to teach. I didn't realise how much I m-missed it."_

_After a few years away from teaching, Edward had finally summoned the courage to go back into the profession, and he was so much happier for it._

_His fingers rubbed mine and I gazed at him affectionately. It was so alarming thinking back to how we were a few months ago. To think I'd actually despised Edward at one point... I shuddered._

_"Actually, there's something I w-wanted to ask you..." he suddenly said, looking nervous and pushing his chair back. My heart began hammering as he walked around the table to meet me, never missing my gaze. I nearly fainted in disbelief when he bent down, cauisng murmurs from the couples around us. The whole restaurant became quiet and my skin tingled._

_"B-Bella Swan, I love you so, so much."_

_I didn't know how I managed, but I somehow answered him in a whisper. "And I love you too, Edward."_

_"And, it only feels right..." he reached into his pocket. "To ask you to be m-my wife."_

_I'd always scoffed at those people who cry at marriage proposals. I thought it was weak of them and that they were being completely ridiculous._

_Yet, here I was with tears streaming down my face and my nose running like an idiot._

_"Edward," I gasped. "I... I'd love to. Of course! Of course I will!"_

_He sprung up and wrapped his arms tightly around me, causing applause to erupt around us. A waiter soon arrived with a bottle of champagne, and I sobbed with nothing but pure happiness as Edward slipped the ring onto my finger._

_"Perfect fit," I murmured and he smiled._

_"Perfect fit for my p-perfect woman."_

"Bella?"

Edward's voice brought me out of my trance and I turned to smile at him. I realised that our daughter, Grace, was stood by his side, clutching a pile of books and papers. This surely meant that she needed help with her homework and, thankfully, as if on cue, the phone soon began ringing and I leapt off the sofa, grinning as I heard Edward moan a little.

"What do you need help with, darling?" I heard him ask when I closed the door behind me to answer the phone. My heart filled with warmth; he was such a wonderful father. In fact, he was just wonderful in general.

Over the ten years we'd grown to understand each other even more and had a deep bond that nothing could shift. Also, his slight stutter had improved and he said that I was the reason for that, for I had given him a new found confidence.

The thought of that nearly made me cry.

He was more or less completely over his alcohol problem, too, which was a bonus. As for Alice, her cancer had been in remission for the appropriate time now and we were all optimistic that it wouldn't return. She had survived, like the strong person she is, and was back to enjoying her life.

On top of this, I hadn't heard anything from Yvonne or Emmett Adams, both things that I was exceptionally grateful for. Mom and Dad were still well, and Edward and myself visited them regularly with their granddaughter. They seemed to approve of my choice of partner and still found it strange that I was now Bella Cullen.

As for myself, I was happier than I had ever been. I still thought about David every single day and kept a photo of him in my room, but Edward understood this completely. I had actually received a phonecall one day from the police, telling me that they'd found a man with fingerprints that matched the ones on the knife found in the apartment David and I had stayed at when _it_ happened. In other words, they'd finally found his murderer, and the sense of justice that I felt was overpowering. He could finally rest in peace and everything finally felt right.

I brought the phone to my ear a little breathlessly. "Hello?"

"Bella!" a voice screeched. "Oh gosh, help me! I'm having a crisis!"

"Alice, Alice, calm down," I replied. "Tell me what's wrong."

I heard her take in a deep breath. "I'm having trouble with Daisy!"

I bit my lip. "What's wrong with her?"

"She won't stop crying!" she groaned. As if on cue, there was a loud gurgle in the background, followed by another wail. I could even faintly hear Jasper, cooing to his daughter in an attempt to calm her. I smiled a little at the memory; when Grace was younger she had been a little bundle of joy. She still was, really.

"Well, have you tried feeding her?" I asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed; this was going to be a long conversation.

"Yes! I've tried feeding her, cuddling her, giving her toys... everything!" She let out a strange noise and my eyes widened. "Help!"

I didn't know why I was finding this so amusing but a chuckle escaped my lips. "Alice, she's probably teething."

There was silence for a while, before Alice called, "Jasper!_ Jasper_! Check her mouth!"

I smiled to myself again as I heard him yell back, "Why?"

"Our daughter's _godmother_ suggests that Daisy is teething!"

I couldn't help grinning at that.

"There are plenty of things that you can buy to soothe the discomfort," I told her, knowing from experience. "She'll be fine."

"Gosh, you're an expert," she replied in a rush. "How is Grace, anyway?"

I moaned. "Well, she just brought in some homework so I hastily left the room."

She laughed and I then heard a grumble. "Oh God, Bella, there's vomit."

"I'd better let you go," I laughed. "See you tomorrow."

She hastily hung up and I headed for the door. As soon as my fingers were off the handle, Grace leapt towards me.

"Woah!" I glanced at Edward, who was strangely avoiding my gaze and looking a little suspicious. A smile was playing on his lips.

"Mommy, Daddy just told me that I need to ask you about this," she said, thrusting some random papers in my face. I fumbled around and sat down with Grace soon following and positioning herself on my lap. It was hard to believe that she was already seven years old... I didn't know where the time had gone.

"What's it about, then?" I asked, moving to a more comfortable position.

"The solar system," she promptly answered, and there was a small noise from Edward. I looked over but he was glancing at the wall, purposefully avoiding my gaze.

"The solar system?" I repeated, and then it suddenly hit me. "You mean it's Physics homework?" I said in a flat voice.

Grace nodded, causing her bronze curls to bob around her face. I narrowed my eyes at Edward, whose shoulders were now visibly shaking.

"Why didn't_ Daddy_ help you?" I asked Grace, meeting Edward's gaze and causing him to snort in amusement.

"He said that you're the expert."

"He's the teacher in the family," I murmured under my breath.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing, darling," I drummed my fingers on the arm of the sofa. "Grace, could you just give Daddy and me a moment? Maybe you could play with your dolls in your room. We just need a little _chat_."

She smiled and skipped off happily. Once I heard her door shutting, I lunged at Edward with my pillow, hitting him playfully. He just laughed along, wrapping his hands around my waist. We soon collapsed in a panting heap, and he placed a tender kiss on my lips.

"That was funny, Edward," I gasped sarcastically, brushing my hair out of my eyes.

He smirked adorably. "Ah, you love me r-really."

I smiled at the truth of his words. "Yes. Yes, I really do. Ugh, that Physics textbook incident will haunt me for the rest of my days," I giggled. "But seriously, can you help her 'cause I really don't have a clue..."

His lips tugged into a lovely smile. "Of course. But you'll have to m-make it up to me later."

I raised an eyebrow. "Ooh, yes, sir."

He cuddled me closer and called for Grace to come back in.

She bounced back into the room and plonked herself in front of Edward and myself. She seemed a little distracted and my gaze moved towards where she was looking and I couldn't help smiling.

"Do you want Daddy to play the piano, Grace?" I asked, knowing how much she enjoyed it.

"Yes! Yes!" she squealed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands repeatedly. Edward gave me a beautiful smile before grabbing myself and Grace's hands, leading us towards the piano. He took a seat and I sat cross legged on the floor with Grace on my lap. I couldn't help wheezing; she wasn't exactly small these days, yet she always liked using me as a chair.

I met Edward's gaze and we shared another smile. He reached for his glasses and put them on, a habit whenever he played. He sometimes wore contact lenses but I had come to realise lately that I really did like him in glasses. It was easier for him too, but I loved him however he looked.

"Ready?" he asked quietly. Both Grace and I nodded, and the room soon filled with the beautiful music that I would never tire of hearing. I automatically closed my eyes and relaxed, listening carefully to the sounds. I didn't know how long he played for, but it was quickly over and I internally groaned, wanting the lingering note in the air to keep continuing forever.

I looked at Edward again and his brow was furrowed, something he did whenever he concentrated. He slowly removed his fingers from the keys and glanced over at us happily.

"Beautiful, as ever," I whispered.

Before he could reply, a buzz came from my watch and I leapt up in panic, noticing the time.

"Oh God, quick!" I screeched. "Turn on the TV! It's Doctor Who time!"

Edward nodded in understanding and we all hurried towards the sofa, just in time for the starting credits.

"Phew," I breathed. "That was close."

He placed his arm around my shoulders and I leaned against his chest, hugging Grace as well. I really didn't know if things could get any better than this.

With a final grin from Edward, we all settled down, staring religiously at the TV screen. It was a little worrying how obsessed we all were about this show; I didn't know how, but Grace loved it too. Maybe it ran in the genes...

I did know one thing for certain, though; if my future was going to be anything like this, I was definitely going to be a very happy woman.

_The End_

* * *

**And so, the story comes to a close... it's been a long time and I never thought I'd finish it, but here we are.**

**I'd like to say thank you to all the people who have constantly reviewed and to anyone who alerted or favourited the story - the emails made me feel very proud. I really do appreciate all the support.**

**I have considered doing another story from Edward's POV and am really excited about doing that, but my new story that I'm focusing on at the mo is 'For Your Eyes Only' and that will be published in a few days. Lets just say it features an Edward you've never seen before... I hope. (gulps)**

**Anyway, if you like the idea of Edward's POV please say, 'cause I don't want to do it for nothing. It really would be interesting though, because there's so much he'd have to say. But thanks again and I hope you enjoyed what I came up with, it's certainly been a long journey!**

**Becky :)**


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